TH E

M
B U C C A N E E R .

W w
‘
f W
-
l

A TA L E .

RS . S . C . HAL L .

M
pe r son in

M
’

Of o u r e l i ad u s

“
S tay ! m e th i nk s I see
y on d cav e W h o s h o u l d t h at
I kn ow h e r e n sign es n ow
,
.

ti s C h ival rie
’

P oss e ss d w i th sl ee pe de ad as a l et h ar gi e ;
If an y c h arm e w il l w ak e h e r tis th e n am e
I ll u se h is F am e
’
,
‘
bee

B EN J o n s o n .

M
R E V ISE D B Y T H E A U T H OR .

L ON D ON
R I C H A R D B E N T L E Y , N E W B U R L I N G T ON ST R E E T
BE L L A ND B R A D F U TE ,
E D IN BU RG H ;
J . CU IN G , D U B L IN .

18 40 .
 TH E B U CCANE E R

CH AP T E R I .

W i th r oom y d ec k s h e r gu n s of m i gh t y s tr e n gt h ,
,

W h ose l ow l a i d m ou th s e ac h m ou n ti n g b l l lOW l aves

-
,
D e e p in h e r d ra u ght a d w ar l i k e in h e r l en gth
, n ,

Sh e s ee ms a sea w as p fl y i n g on th e w a ves . D RY DE N .

IT was between the hours of ten and twelve on a fine night of

F ebruary in th e year sixteen hundred an d fifty six that three
,
-

men m oored a light ski ff in a sm all bay oversha do wed by the ,

heavy and sombre rocks t h at distinguish the I sle o f Sh epe y

from other parts along the coast of Kent th e white cli ffs of ,

which present an aspect at on ce so cheerful and so peculiar to

'
th e shores of B ritain The quiet sea see med in th e m u rky
.
,

light l ike a dense an d mo tionless mass save when the gather

, ,

ing clouds passed from the brow of th e waning moon an d ,

permitted i ts beam s to repose in silver lines on its undul ating

bosom .

I t w as di fficult to account for th e m otive that could have

indu ced any mariner to land u pon so unpropitious a spot ,

hemmed in as it w as on every side an d apparently a ffording

.
,

n o outlet but that by whi ch they had ente red the trackless
’
and illimitable ocean Without a m oment s deliberation h ow
.
,

ever the s teersman w h o h ad guided h is boat into the creek

, , ,

sprang lightly to the shore : another followed while the t h ird ,

folding himself in the capacious cloak his leader had throw n

off resumed his pl ace as if resolved to take his rest at lea st
, , ,

Little doubt of ou r having foul weathe r master, oh ,

served the y ou n ger of th e tw o i n a hal f querulous half positive

, ,

tone as standing on a huge bank of sea weed he regarded first

,
’
-

the heavens and then the earth with the scrutinising gaze of
, ,

one accus tomed to pry into thei r mysteries H is companion .

B
2 TH E BUOCA N E E R .

made n o answer but commenced unrolling a rich silk scarf

, ,

that had enveloped his throat and t wi sting it into l oose fol ds , ,

passed it several times aroun d his waist — having previ ou sly

’

withdrawn from a wide leathern belt that intervened between

h is j acket and trousers a br a ce of curiously fashioned pistols -
,

whi ch he now handed to th e young sailor while be elevated ,

the hilt of his dagger so that without removing or disturbing

, ,

the silken s ash he could use it in an instant H aving fully

,
.

ascertained this point by drawing the weapon m ore than once

, .

from its sheath he again dep osi ted th e pistols in his belt and
, ,

buttoned his vest nearly to the throat ; then drew the ends of
his sash still more tightly an d placing a han d on either side
, ,

turned towards the cli ffs measuring their altitude wi t h an eye

, ,

w hi ch though deficient in dignity was acute an d peculiarly

, , ,

fierce in expression .

The seaman for such was his c al ling was about fi ve feet
, ,

eight or nine inches in height H is hair as it appe ared from .

,

beneath a cap singularly at variance with the fa shion o f the

time curled darkly round a face the marked features o f which
, ,

were su fficiently prominent even in that uncertain light to , ,

denote a person of n o ordinary mind or character H i s figure

’

w as firm and well proportioned and though he might h a ve

-
, ,

n u mbered fifty years it had lo st neither strength nor elasti city

, .

H is whole bearing was that of a man whom nothing could have

turn ed from a cherished purpose were it for good or evil ,

though his eye was as we have des cribed it fier ce and a cu te

, , ,

i t was also restless and impatient as the waves upo n which he

had toiled from his earl iest y ears .

A g a in he surveyed the cli ff and stepping close to its ba se , , ,

applied the point of a boat spear to remove th e se a weed that

- -

spring and high tides had heaped against it ; he then sum

m oued the youth to his assist ance : afte r a few moments ’

search the lad exclaimed

, ,

H ere it is m aster , here is on e — here another but ,

m y eyes ! are we to trust ou r necks to such footing as this ?

’
I d rather mount the top g all ant o f the good ship Provi den ce
-

in the fiercest Nor wester that ever blo w d than follow such a
-
’

,
lubberly ta ck .

“
Then go back to th e bo a t sir replied the elder as he , , ,

began with cautious yet ste ady daring, to ascend

, a course
a ttended with evident danger “
Go back to the boat sir , ,
 TH E B U COAN E E R .

and here J er om io ! y ou have n ot been taught your duty on

, ,

board the Providen ce and I presum e have n o scruples like , , , ,

our friend O ba Spr in gall J er om io ! I say hither and u p .

,

with me
t I am ready s ir repl ied the youth , whose momentary
, ,

dread had been dispelled by this attempt to promote a rival to

the post of honour I am ready sir muttering however , , ,

soon a fterwards to himself as the di ffi cul ties of the way in ,

creased H e thinks n o more of his li fe than if he were a

,
”
sprat or a spawn N o other word w as breathed by ei ther of
. .

the adventurers as they threaded the giddy path until about

, ,

midway when the elder paused an d exclaimed A h oy t h ere

, ,
-
,

bo y there are tw o steps wanti ng you had bet ter indeed go

back T o me the track has been long familiar ; not so to
.
,
"
y ou .
’
The youth thought o f his master s taunt and J e r om io , ,

and resolved to take his chance A y a y sir n o danger .

, , ,
”
when I follow you B ut the pe r il w as in truth app all ing
.
, , ,

though its d uration was brief B elow the se a that w as n o w .

,

rapidly covering the small creek rudely agitated an d O pposed ,

by a rising breeze dashed and foamed against the rocks To

,
.

fall from such a height was inevitable destructi on There was .

scarcely su fficient light to mark the inequality of the ascending

cl i ffs and a spectator g a zing on the scene must have ima
'
, ,
,

gin ed th at those w h o clung to such a spot were supported by

supernatural agency The Skipper nothing daun ted struck .
, ,

the spear that had served as a climbing stick firmly into the
,
-

, !

surface of mingled cla y an d stone and then by a v iolen t e ffort , , ,

fl ung himself u pwards catching with his left hand at a slight ,

projectio n that was hardly visible thus han ging betwee n ,

earth a n d heaven he coolly diseng aged the sta ff and placed

, ,

it under the extended ar m s o as to form an other prop an d ,

feeling as it were h is way he burrowed with his foot a rest

, , ,

ing in the cli ff fro m which he sprang on a n arro w ledge and

, ,

w as in safety H e then turned to look for his young c om

.

panion to whom be extended the bo a t spear that had been o f

,
-

such service A nimated by his mas ter s success and e xa mple

.
’

,
’
Spri ngall s self possession w as confirmed
-
and bo th soon stood
on the bro w of the precipice .

”
Sh arp sailing that boy obser ved the elder as the youth , , ,

pante d at his side .

 4 T H E B U CCA N E E R .

’’
Ay, sir replied S r in all wiping his face with th e
y a ,p g , ,
“ ’’
sleeve of his j acket T ake a drop m aster h e continued
.
, , ,
’
drawing a tin bottle from his bosom twill warm ye after ,

such a cur sed cruise .

The Skipper nodded as he accepted the flask I hope y ou .

’
are as well armed on all poin ts as o n this but don t take in
too gre a t a reef or it will make you a he a vy sailor before your
,

time : drop anchor now and keep watch here till further ,

orders .

Keep watch here sir ! said Springal l in a mourn ful , ,

’
tone . And did ye bring me ashore and up that devil s ,

rope ladder to leave me to w a tch here ?

-

The C aptain looked upon him angrily for a m oment I .

am rightly served for taking man or boy ou t o f the canting

hulks that lag on the water Did ye ever chan ce to hear suc h .

a sound on board the ship Providence as Silen ce an d obey ,

’
orders ? Let not your walk youngster extend beyond that , ,

point from which at daybreak you can catch a view of the

, , ,

court tree where if ancient habits a re n o t all put o ff there

, , ,

will be revelries ere long : the old church at Minster will be

also within your sight while the se a between us and the E sse x
,

coast and for miles along th e N orthern oce an can scarcely

, ,

bear a s ail that your young eyes will not distinguis h Watch .

as if your life — a s if a thousand lives hung upon the cautio n

o f a moment ; and remember while the blue light revolves , ,
’
which you now see in th e vessel s h o w all thi n gs abroad go on ,

well Y ou also know the p a ss word for our friends and the
.
-
,

rec eption for ou r enemies I f y ou should be at all afraid .

,

three loud notes on your whistle w ill summon J er om io and a ,

single fl a sh of y our pi s tol will bring the long bo a t o ff and -

into the creek in five minute s Y ou can then tu mble down .

’
the devil s rope l a dder as you c all it and se nd the less timid
-
, ,

I tali a n to keep watch till my return — you understand me .

So s aying he strode onwards leaving the youth who h a d not , ,

yet p a s sed eightee n summer s to h is discontented solitude and ,

ill tem per.

e

“ U nderstand ou ! I wonder w h o does ever did or ever

'
y , ,

will perched up here like a sea m e w and n ot having touched -

lan d for five weeks Beyond that point I ll be even with ’

hi m,
’ ’
for I wo n t w al k to that point : I ll just stay in the one ’

s pot . With this resolution , be fl ung himself upon a b ank of

 T H E B U CCA N E E R
,
. 5

early wild thyme that filled the air with i ts refreshing odour
, .

Long after his m a ster w a s o u t of sight he continued pulling ,

up tu fts o f the perfumed herb and flinging them over the ,

N ow, by my faith, he mentally exclaimed I have a ,

mind to pelt that J erorn io with some of these clay lumps : he

is enj oying a sound nap down there like an overgrown seal , ,

as he is and I am everlastingly taunted with J er om io

’
J erom io J er om io ! at every b an d s turn H ere goes to .
,

rouse his slumbers H e dre w himself gr a dually forward

.
,

and raised his hand to fling a frag m ent of stone at his fello w
seaman the arm was seized in its uplifted position by a ,

figure enveloped in a dark cloak that mu ffled closely roun d , ,

the face an d surmoun ted by a slo u ched hat worn at the time
, ,

by both C avalier and R oundhead e ffectually concealed the ,

person from recognition H e held the youth in so iron a.

grasp th a t motion was almost impossible a n d while the m oon

,

came forth and shone upon them in all her maj esty the tw o ,

w h o contended beneath her light might have bee n aptly com

pared in their strength and weakness to the mighty eagle
, ,

overcoming the feeble leveret .

The stranger was the first to speak as motioning with his ,

disengaged hand towards the revolving light that hung in the

’
vessel s bo w , he in quired ,

What colours does that ship carry ?

’ ”
H er m aster s I suppose , .

A n d w h o is her master ?
The man sh e belongs to .

’
She s a free trader then
-

The sea is as free to a free ship as the land to a free man , ,

”
I take it .

R eptile ! dare yo u barter words with m e — Your com

’
man der s n a me ?
The boy m ade n o answer .

“ ”
Dost hear me ? Your comm ander s name ? and as the ’

question was repeated the mailed glove of the interro gator

,
’
pressed painfu lly in to Springall s flesh , without however , ,

eli citing a reply .

H e has a name I suppose ,

That you or any c owardly night walker would as soon

, -
,

n ot hear g for it i s the name o f a brave man

”
’
rep lied the ,

B 3
 6 B UCC AN EE R
'

TH E .

youth at last struggling violently but ine fle ctu all y to rea ch

’ ’

, , ,

the whistle that w a s suspended round his neck .

Fool exclaimed the stra nger dost bandy stren gth as ,

well as words ? Learn that in an in s tant I could drop thee

”
i nto the rolli n g ocean like the egg of the unwi se bi rd
,
He .

raised the youth from the earth and held him over the preci ,

pice whose b a se was now buried in the wild waste of waters

, ,

that foamed and howled as if demanding from the unyielding

,

rock a tribute or a sacrifice .

’
Tell me thy m a ster s n ame .

The heroic boy though with certain de a th before him made

, ,

no reply The m an held him for a bout the sp a ce o f a minute

.

a nd a half in the same position : at first he struggled fiercely

a n d silently as a young wolf caught in the h u n ter s toils
’

,
yet
fear gradu ally p alsied the body of the un c onquered mind and ,

h is e fforts became so feeble th a t the stranger placed him o n ,

his feet saying , ,

”
I wish not to hurt thee child ! a dding in a low and , ,

broken voice W ould that the Lord had given u nto me son s
,

endowed with the s a me spirit Wilt tell me thy o w n n a me

No If you are a friend y ou kno w our p a ss word if a ,
-

foe you sh all n ot know it from me

, Y ou c a n go do w n the .

cli ff and ask ou r com m ander s name from you sleepy O rson ;
,
’

”
his tongue goes fast enough a t all s easons .

The stranger entirely withdrew his hold fro m Sprin gall ,

while he moved towards the summit of the rock Quick as .

’
lightning the whistle was applied to the youth s m o u th and
, ,

three rapid distinct n ote s cut throu gh the night air and were
, ,

echoed by the surroundi n g c a verns .

“ ”
I th an k thee boy said the mysterious being calmly ;
, , ,
”
that tells of H ugh Dalton a nd the Fire fl y -
.

A n d he dis appeared so instantaneously from the spot that ,

Spr in gall ru bbed first his eyes and then h is a rm to be a ssured , ,

whether the events of the last few minutes were not the e ffects
o f a distem pered im agination H e h a d however more certai n .
, ,

proof of its re ality : for upon peerin g closely through the ,

darkness into the thick wood that skirted the east he distinctl y ,

noted the glitter o f s teel in tw o or three points at the same

m oment ; a nd apprehensive that their landing must have been
witnessed by more than on e person the hostile intentions of
whom he coul d scar cely doubt — h e examined the priming of
 T H E B U CCAN EE R .
7
his pistols, called to J e rom io to look ou t for that danger was ,

at hand and resumed his watch fearfu l n ot for his o w n

, , ,

safety but for tha t of h i s absent comm ander

,
.

I n the mean time the Skipper w h o was known in the Isle

, ,

o f Sh e pe a nd up on other parts o f the coast by the name of

y , ,

H ugh Dalton proceeded uninterruptedly on his way up an d

, ,

down the small luxuriant hills an d along the fair valleys of as

,

fertil e and beautiful a district as an y of which our E ngland

can boast until a su dden turn brought him close upon a dwell
,

ing of large proportions and disj ointed arch i tecture that evi ,

de n tl y belonged to tw o di stinct eras The portion o f the house.

fronting the place on which he stood was b u ilt o f red brick ,

and regularly elevated to three stories in height ; the windows

were long and narrow an d the entire of that divi s ion was i n
strict accordance with the taste of the times as patronised an d ,

adopte d by the rulers of the C ommonwealth Behind rose .

,

several square turrets and straggling buildi ngs the carved an d

, ,

many paned windows of which were of very remote date and

-

evidently formed from the reli cs o f some m onastery or religious

house H ere and there the fancy or intere s t of the o w n er h ad
.
, g

indu c ed him to remodel the structure and an ill design edlan d -

ungraceful mixture of the m odern with the ancien t gave to

the whole somewhat o f a grotesque appearance that was ,

heigh tened by the noble trees which had once towered in ma

,

j esty and beauty being in many places lopped and docked as

, ,

if even the exuberance of nature was a crime in the eyes of the

present lord of the mansion .

”
Sir R obert muttered Dalton
,
may W ell change the ,

name of his dwelli ng from C ecil A bbey to C ecil Place Why .

,

the very trees are manufactured into R oundheads B ut there .

is something m ore than ordi nary a foot for the l ights are float -
,

ing through the house as if it were haunted T he sooner I .

”
make harbour the better ,
.

H e paced rapidly forward and stood before a small building

,
’
that was then called a porter s lodge but which had formerly ,

been design a ted the A bbey Gate and which perh aps in con , ,

sideration of its simple , but singular beauty had been spared , ,

all m odern alteration The ivy th at clustered and climbed to

.

its loftiest pinnacles added a wild and pec u liar interest to thi s
remnant of ancient ar chi tecture I t contained a high carriage
.

archway, and a lateral pas sage beneath it, both decorated with
B 4
8 TH E B u cc a n n nn .

numerous ornamental mouldings and columns fl anked at the ,

angles by octagonal turrets of surpass ing elegance A n apa rt .

ment over the arch which during the reign of monasti c

, ,

power h ad been used as a small oratory for the celebration of

, ,

early mass to the serv ants and labourers of the convent w as ,

n ow appropriated to the accommodation of the porter and his

family .

The Skipper appli ed his ha n d to the bell and rang long and ,

loudly For some time n o a nswer w as returned A gain he

. .

rang an d after much delay an ol d m an w as seen approaching

, ,

fro m th e house bearing a torch which he carefully shaded

, ,

from th e night wind .

”
My good friend inquired the sailor in n o gentle tone
, ,
“ ’
is it Sir Robert s wish that those w h o come on business
should be thus kept wai ting ?
Y ou know little of th e a ffliction with w hich it has ple ased
the Lord to visit Sir R obert, or y ou would not have rung so
”
loudly : ou r good lady is dying ! and the ol d man s voice ’

faltered as he sp oke the tidings .

“ "
Indeed ! was the only reply of Dalton as he passed ,

u nder the archway but the word was spoken in a tone that
evinced strong feeli ng The porter requested him to walk i n to
.

the lodge .

Th e place is in confusion and as to seeing my m aster i t ,

’
is a clear impossibility ; he has n o t left our l ady s bedside
these three days and th e doctor says she will be gathered to
,
”
her kindred before morning .

H e w ill l eave even h er to attend to me and therefore my

t ,

friend on your ow n head be the responsibility if you fail to

,

deliver to him this token I te ll you added Dalton death

.
, ,

could har dl y keep him from me !

The porter too k the o ffer ed signet in silen ce and only ,

h ook his head in reply as they passe d toge ther towa rds th e
i
,

ouse .

Y ou can tell me I suppose if Master Roland is still wi th

, ,
’
his H ighness s army ?
A lack and well a day ! God i s j ust and merciful but I
- -
, ,

take it the death o f that no ble bo h as gone nigher to break

y
my lady 3 heart than any other sorrow : the flesh will war
,
’

ag ainst th e spirit H ad he died in hon ourable comba t at

.

Marston or at Naseby when fi rst it w as give n h im to raise ,

 T H E B U CC A N EE R . 9
’
his arm in the Lord s cause but to fall in a drunken frolic, -

not befitting a holy C hristian to engage in — it w as far m ore

than m y poor lady cou ld be ar .

Ol ivergpr om ise d to be a fine fellow .

Do not t alk of him do n ot tal k of him I entreat y ou

, , ,

repli ed the domestic pl a cing his han d on his fa c e to conceal

,

his em otion he w as indeed my heart s darling Long be

, ,
’
. .

’
fore Sir R obert succeeded to his brother s property and when ,
’
we lived with my la dy s father I was the ol d gentleman s ’

huntsman and that dear child was ever at m y heels T he

,
.

Lord be praised ! the Lord be pr a ised ! but I little thought

th e blue waves woul d be his bier before he had seen his twen

They are all gon e s ir : five such boys ! —th e

.

tie th year .
,

girl the lamb of the flock only left Y ou do n ot know her

, ,
. ,

do ye ? inquired the ol d m an peering with much curios ity ,

’
into th e Skipper s face as if recognising i t as one he had seen
,

i n former days .

The sailor made n o answer .

T hey had n o w entered a small postern d oor which led to -

the hall by a n arrow passage and the porter proceeded until

they sto od in on e o f those vaulted entrances that usually convey
an idea of the wealth and power of the possessor .

You can sit here till I return observed the gu ide again , ,

casting an inquiring look upon the form and features of the

guest .

’
I s it in n o m a n s hall was the stern reply ,
.

T he porter withdrew and the seam an folding his arms , , ,

paced up an d down the paved vestibule w hich showed evi dent ,

tokens o f the confusion that sickness an d death n ever fa il to

create H e paused occasionally before the huge an d gaping
.

chimney an d extended hi s sinewy hands over the flickeri n g

, ‘

embers o f the expiri n g fire the lurid glare of the departing

fl ames only rendered the d a rkness o f the farthermost portio n
of the hall more deep and fearful T he clock chim e d eleven .

it was as ever the voice o f Time giving warning o f eternity !

, ,

A light gleamed at the most di s ta nt end o f the apartmen t ,

an d a slight bu t graceful girl approached the stranger She . .

w as habited in a close vest of grey cloth : her he ad covere d

with a linen c a p de void of an y ornament ; from un der the
,

plai n border of whi ch a str eam of hair appeared tightly dra wn

, ,

across a forehead of beautiful colour an d proportions .

10 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

W ill y ou please to follo w sir to m y master s study ?

‘ '

, ,

D al ton turned suddenly round ; the entire expre s sion of h is

coun tenan ce softened and his fi r m set lips opened a s if a word
,
-

laboured to come forth and was retained only by an e ffort

,
.

W ill you n o t follow g ood s ir ? repe a ted the girl , ,

anxiously but mildly My m aster is ill at e ase and wishes

.
,
’

to return to my lady s room : it may be

The senten ce remained unfinished and tea rs streamed afresh ,

down cheeks al ready swoll en with weeping .

Your name g irl inquired the str a nger eagerly

, , .

”
B arbara Ive rk she replied evidently astonished at the
, ,

question H e seized her arm and while g a zing earnestly in

.
, ,

her fa ce murmured i n a tone of positive tenderness,

,

A re you h a ppy
I praise the L ord for his goodness ! ever since I have
been here I have been most happy but my dear lady w h o
, ,

w as so kind to me A ga in her tea rs returned .

You do not know m e — B ut y ou could n ot ”

H ugh .

D al ton gradually relaxed his hold and pulled from his bosom ,

a purse heavy with Sp a nish pieces he pre sented i t to the

girl but s h e drew back her hand and sh ook h er head
,
.

Take it child and buy thee a riding hood o r a far th in

, ,
-

,
”
gale or some such trumpery which thy vain sex delight in
, ,
.

I l a ck nothing good sir I th ank ye and as to the

, , ,

coined silver it is only a tempte r to the destruction of body

,
”
and soul .

A s it may be used — as i t m ay be used rep eated th e ,

”
sailor quickl y on e s o y oung would not abuse i t .

W isdom might be needed in the expenditure and I have

heard that want of knowledge is the forerunner of sin B e .

sides I ask your pardon good sir but strangers do n o t give

, , ,

to strangers unless for charity , a nd I lack nothing .

She dropped so modest a courtesy and looked s o perfectly ,

and purely innocent th a t moisture as unusual as i t might be

, ,

unwelcome dimmed the eyes of the stern man of ocean ; an d

,

as he rep laced the dollars he muttered s omething that sounded ,

like , I thank God she i s uncontaminated H e then fol

lowed the gen tle girl through many passages and up an d ,

down more th an o n e flight o f stairs they both at length

stopped before a door that w as thi ckly pl a ted with iron .

”
Y ou need n ot w ait said Dalton l aying h is hand on the
, ,
12 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

’
acts Master Dalton I ha v e never taken any m an s labour for
,
”
nothing .

“
L a bour again echoed the sailor l abour m a y be paid ,

for but wh a t c a n stand in lieu of innocence , purity of heart ,

and rectitude o f conduct ?

Gold which you have had in all its gorgeous and ,

glowi n g abundan ce .

do re torted the other in a painfully subdued

, ,

tone there is much it cannot purchase A m I n ot at thi s .

m oment a banned a nd a blighted man scouted alike from the

board of the pr ofl igate C avalier and the ps alm si n ging Puritan
,
-

o f this most change loving country -

And on e d a y or a nother
I may be hung u p at the y ar d ar m of a C ommonwealth v

H eaven bless the m ark a C ommonwe alth cruiser or

scare crows from a gibbet off Sheerness or Queenborough or be ,

made an example of for some act of piracy committed on th e

high se a s
B ut why commit such acts ? You have wherewithal to
live respect a bly quietly .

Quietly ! repe a ted the Skipper ; look ye Mas ter ,

I crave your pardon Sir R obert C ecil as soon could o n e of

’
Mother C arey s chick ens mount a hen roost or bring up a -
,

brood of lubberly turkies as I H ugh D a lton m aste r and

, , ,

o w ner o f the good brigantine that sits th e waters like a

,

swan and cuts the m like an arrow — li ve quietly quietly

, , ,

on shore ! Santa Mari a ! have I n o t panted under the hot sun

o ff the C aribbees ? H a ve I not c lo s ed my ears to the cry of
mercy ? H a ve I not sacked and sunk and burn t without ac
, ,

knowledgi ng claim or country H as n ot the m other clasped

her child more closely to h e r boso m a t th e mention of my
name I n on e word for years have I not been a B U CC AN E E R ?
,

A nd yet you t alk to me o f quie tness Sir s ir th e soul so , ,

steeped in sin has but two resources — madness or th e grave ; th e ,

”
last even I shrink from so give me war war a nd i ts insanity , , .

C a nnot you learn to fear the Lord and trade as an honest ,

man
Dalton cast a look of such mingled scorn and contempt on his
companion that a deep red c olour m ounted to h is ch ec k as be
,

repeated Yes ! I ask cannot y ou tra de as an honest man

, ,
?
”
N o ! a curse on tra de : and I m n ot h onest, he replied
’

fi ercely .
 T H E B U CCAN EE R . 13
”
May I beg you briefly to explain the obj ect of y our visit P
s a id the Baronet at l ast after a perplexing pause , during which
,

the arms of the B uccaneer were folded on h is breast and his ,

restl ess and vigilant eyes wandered roun d the apartment flashing ,

with an in de fin able expres sion when they en countered the ,

blue retreating orbs of Sir R obert .

Thi s then : I require a free pardon fro m O ld N oll n ot

, ,

not only for myself but for my crew The brave men wh o
,
.
,

would have died shall li ve with me , A s a return for hi s, .

’
H ighness s civility I wi l l give up al l free trade and take the
, ,
”
comm an d of a frigate if it s o please him , .

”
O r a revenue cutter I presume observed the B aronet , , ,

sarcastically .

”
C urs e me if I do ! replied Dalton contemptuously ,
’
the sharks N o n o I m not come to that yet ; n or woul d
, ,

I ever think of hoisting any flag but mine ow n were it n o t for ,

”
the s ake o f a small craft as belonging to n o matter what
, .

You have seen but li ttle of the girl .

T oo li ttle : an d why ? B ecause I was as h a m ed to s ee

her but n ow not te n minutes ago
-
I was gla d she di d
n o t kn ow me Sir R obert, when your o w n daughter hangs upon
.

your arm or looks with her innocen t eyes into your face
, ,

h o w do y ou feel ?

M
Sir R obert C ecil had been too well s chooled in Puritani sm
to su ffer the emotions of his mind to a ffect his fea tures He .

di d not reply to the question but skilfully turn ing the convers ,

ation brought the intr u der back to his ol d s ubj ect

, .

H ow do y ou purpose procuring this free pardo n ?

I ! I know n o t how to procure it ; I only wish i t pro
cured the means are in your power n ot mine , .

I n mine ej aculated t he B aronet with well feigned asto -

n ish m en t ; you mist ake goo d Dalton I have n o interest at

, ,
”
W hiteha ll I would n o t ask a favour for myself .

That is likely but y o u must ask on e for m e .

“
u st repeated Sir Robert i s a strange word to u se ,
”
,
to me Dalton
,
.

’
I m n o t scholar enough to find a better replied the other ,

insolently .

I c ann ot if I w oul d persisted the B aronet

’ ‘

.
,

O ne word more then The P rotector s plans render i t

, .
’

impracticable for me to continue as I have done on the s eas , ,

 14 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

I kno w that I am a marked man and unless something be de ,

te rm ine d o n and speedily I shall be exposed to that ignominy

, ,

which for my ch ild s sake I would avoid Don t talk tb me

’ ’ "

.
, ,

o f impossibilities ; you can obtain the p a rdon I desire and , ,

in one word Sir R obert C ecil you m u s t

, ,

Sir R obe rt shook his head .

A t your pleasure then at your pleasure ; but at your

, ,

peril also Mark me ! I am not o n e to be thrown overbo a rd

.
,

and m ake no struggle I am not a ba by to be strangled with

o u t crying I f I perish fa c ts shall a r ise from my grave
,

ay if I were sunk a thousa n d fathoms in my o w n blue sea

,

facts th a t would You may well tremble and turn pale ! The
secret is s till in ou r keeping ; only reme m ber I fall not singly
‘ ,
”
Insulting villain ! said Sir R o bert regaining his self ,

command you have now n o facts n o proofs ; the evidence ,

i s destroyed .

I t is not destroyed R obert C ec il observed Dalton calmly

, , ,

pul ling a bundle o f p apers fro m h is vest loo k here and

here and here — do you n ot know your o wn hand writing ? -

ou practi s ed me first in decepti o n I had n o t forgotten your

y
kind lessons when in your presence I committe d forge d letters
,

to the fl a mes
The man laughed the laugh of con tempt and bitter scorn
as he held forward the documen ts For a few momen ts Sir .

Robert seemed petrified his eyes glared on the papers as if ,

their frozen lids had n o t th e power of shutting ou t the horrid

proofs o f his iniquity Suddenly he m a de a desperate e ffort to
.

secure them ; but the steady eye and m u scular a rm o f the

smuggler preven ted i t .

H a nds o ff he exclaimed, whirling th e B aronet from him ,

as if he had been a thing o f straw you know my power and ,

”
ou know m y terms there n eeds no m ore palaver about it
y .

Will n ot gol d serve your purpose

‘

N o I have en ough o f that : I want distinction and fame

, ,

a free pardon and the command o f on e of your registered and

,

a cknowledged plunderers ; or m a yhap baptism for m y o w n , ,

bright li ttl e Fire fl y as the B abe of Gra ce or — B ut hang

-

, ,
’
i t no
, I d sink the vessel first a nd let her die as she h as , ,

lived free free free ! I belong to a civilised se t of beings

, , , ,

an d must therefore be a slave a sl ave to some t hing or some o n e

, .

N oll k nows my talents well knows that I am as good a com ,

 T H E B U CCAN E E R . 15
1
mander ay and for the matter of that would be as honest a one
, , ,
”
as the best .

H e paused the B aronet groaned audibly .

We have on e or tw o lit tle j obs upon the coasts here of

'

Kent and E ssex tr ifle s that must nevertheless be attended to

, , ,

but this day month Sir R obert C ecil we meet a gain

, I will , .

n o t longer keep y ou from your wife Gracious H ea ven where .

w as I when mine expired B ut farewell I woul d n ot detain

o u for her sweet and gen tle sake : she will be rewarded for
y ”
her goodness to m y child ! R emember he added closing the

M
, ,

door remember
, one month and H ugh Dalton ,

C H A PT E R I I .

D e ath ! be no t p r ou d th ou gh s ome h av e c all ed th ee

,

i gh t y n d d re adf u l fo th o u r t n o t so ;
a ,
r a

F r t h os e w h o m th o u th n k st t h ou d os t o v e rt h r ow
’
o 1
,

D e n o t p oor D eath
i ,
0 i
a i 3‘

W h y sw ell s t t h ou t h e n ’
,
On e s h o r t s l e p p as t w e w a k e e te rna l l y f;
e ,
A n d De a th s h al l be n o m or e : D ea th l t h ou s h al t di e -
.

D R D own s
. .

’
W H E N Sir R obert C ecil return ed to his wife s chamber all ,

withi n was silent as th e grave H e approached the bed his .

daughter rose fro m th e seat sh e had occupied by its side an d ,

m otioned h im to be stil l pointing at the same time to her,

“
m other and intimating that sh e slept
,
Thank God fo r .

”
that ! he murmured and dr ew his han d across his brow
, ,

wh ile hi s chest heaved as if a heavy weight had bee n r e

moved fr om it T he attendants h ad left the room to obtain
.

some necessary refreshment and repose and father and dau gh ,

ter were alone with the sl e eper in the ch a mber o f death The .

bro w of L ady C ecil was c alm smooth an d un clouded white , , ,

as alabaster and rendered still m ore beautiful by the fe w

,

tresses of pale auburn hair that esc a ped from under the head
tire T he fe atures were of a noble yet softened ch arac ter
.
,

although painfully emaciate d ; and no t a shadow of colour

tinged her upturned lip H er sleep though occasionally sound
.
, ,

was restless and the long shadowy fi ngers that lay on the
, ,
 16 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

embroidered coverlet were n ow and then stirred as if by

, ,

bodi ly or menta l suffering There was an atmosphere of

.

silence not o f repose withi n the apartment a t on ce aw ful

, , ,

and oppressive and Sir R obert breathed as if his breathings

were but a continuation of suppressed sobs .

C ons tance C ecil never in earlier life never in after years

, , ,

gracious and beautiful as she ever w as appeared half so ih ,

te res tin g to her unhappy father as at that m oment There w as .

at all times about her a m aj esty of mind a nd feeling that len t

to her sim m es t word and acti on a dignity and power which , ,

though universally felt it would have been impossible to

,

define I f o ne could have procured for her a kingdom to

.

reig n over or have chosen from the gal axy o f he aven a regi on
,

worthy her comm a nd it must have been th at pale and holy

,

star which splen di d and alone in the fi rm a m en t heralds the

, , ,

approach of day so u n fi tte d might sh e have been deemed to

mingle with a world less pure s o completely pla ced by nature
,

above all the littleness of ordinary life H er nobl e a nd ma .

form was the casket o f a ri c h and holy treasure and her

j es ti c ,

fa ther s conscien ce h ad often quailed when contempl a ting the

’

severity of her youthful virtue Dearly as he loved his wife .

,

he respected his daughter more an d the bare idea that certai n,

occurrences of former ye ars might be known to her was as a

poisoned dagger i n his he a rt H e had been a daring and was
.
,

still an ambitious man — succe ssful in all that m en ai m to

succeed in wealthy honoured and powerful and — what is
, , ,

frequently more arden tly sought for than all — feared ; yet
would be rather have sac rifi ced every adv a ntage he h ad gained
-
every desire for which he had u nhesitatingly bartered his
o w n self estee m -
every disti n ction he had considered cheaply
p u rchased at the pri ce of conscien ce th a n have lo s t t he good ,

opinion the c on fi din g love of his only child E ven now h e

,
.

looked upon her with mingled feelings of dre a d and affection ,

though her h earin g w as subdued and her lofty spirit bowed by

sorrow as she stood before him the thi ck folds of her dressing
, ,

gown fal ling with classic eleg ance to her feet h e r fine hair ,

pushed back from her forehead an d carelessly twisted roun d

h er head and her counte nan ce deepened into an expression of
,

the m ost inten se anxiety : while assured that the in v alid slept ,

on sh e whispered i n to h is ear words o f con s ol ation if not o f

, ,

hope .
 T H E B U CCA N EE R . 17

Lady C ecil had existed for some days in a state of frightful

delirium and during that time her ravings had been so loud
, , ,

an d co n ti nued that her present repose was elysiu m to those

,

who loved h e r C onstan ce bent her knees an d prayed in

.
,

silence long and fervently for support Sir R obert leaning

, , .
,

back in the richly cushioned chair covered his face with h is

-
,

hands withdrawing them only when the sleeper groaned or

,

breathed more heavily A t length both felt as if death had

.

indeed entered the chamber so motionless l a y the obj ect of ,

their lo v e : they con t inued gazing from each other to the

couch until the misty light o f m orning streamed coldly through
,

the open shutters A nother hour o f sad w a tching passed and

.
, ,

with a long an d deeply dra w n sigh the su fferer O pened her ,

eyes : they were n o longer wild a nd wandering but rested ,

,

with calm intelligence on her husban d an d her child .

I t is long since I have seen you except in strange dre a ms , ,

“
sh e s a id or r a ther murmured
,
and now I shall be wi t h y ou
”
but for a very little time !
C onstance put to her lips a sil ver cup con t aining some re
freshment while Sir R obert supported her he a d on h is arm
,
.

C all no o ne in C onstance — C ecil — m y m oments n o w

.

are n u m bere d z— draw b a ck the curtains that I m ay on ce ,

m ore look upon the light o f morning ! C onstance o beyed ;

and the full beams of day entered the room H ow beau .

tiful ! h o w glorious repeated the dying woman as h e r sigh t ,

“
dr ank in the reviving light it heralds me to immortality
where there i s n o darkness — n o disappointmen t — n o evil !
H ow pale are the ray s o f that l a mp C eci l ! H o w feeble ,
”
man s inventions contrasted with the works of the A lmighty !
’

C onstance rose to extinguish it Let it be sh e con tinued

.
, ,
“
feebly ; let i t be de a rest ; it has illumined m y l a st n ight
, ,

and we will expire togethe r The a ffection a te daughter

.

turn ed away to hide her te a rs but w hen did the emotion o f

A las ! m y n oble
’
a beloved child esc ape a mother s n otice
C onstan ce weeping ! I though t s h e at all events could have , ,

spared me this tr ial z— leave us for a fe w moments ; let me

n ot s ee y ou weep C onstan ce — let me, not see i t — tear s

enough have fallen in these halls — do not mourn m y child , ,

”
that your m other will fin d rest at last .

H ow ofte n did C onstantia remember these words ! H ow

o ften when the heart that di ctated such gentle chi ding had
, ,

0
18 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

ceased to beat did C onstan ti a C ecil gazing in to the depths o f

, ,

the blue and m ysterious sky think upon her m oth er in ,

heaven !
Lady C ecil h ad much to say to her husban d during the
remaining momen ts of her exis t ence ; but her bre a thing be
came so feeble th a t he w as obliged to lean over the couch to
,

c a tch her words .

W e par t m y o w n and on l y beloved husband fo r ever in

, , ,

thi s w orld fain would I linger yet a lit tle to recoun t h ow ,

much I h a ve loved you — in ou r m ore humble sta te in this

oh how falsely termed ou r pro s perity My heart h as .

s hared our feeling s I n o u r late bit ter trials more than half
y .
,

m y grief w as th a t y o u shoul d su ffer

, O h R obert ! R obert ! .
,

now when I am about to le a ve you and all for ever — h o w

, ,

m y he a rt cli n gs I fe ar sinfully clings ,

to the remembrance
bf our e a rlier and purer h appiness My father s house ! The ’

n oble oak where the ring doves built and under whose shadow
,
-
,

we fir s t met The stream where y ou and H erbert wild ,

but a ffection a te brother ! O h R o ber t do not bl a me m e , ,

n or start so at his name h is only fault was his devotion to

-

a most kin d master but who that lived under the gen tle ,
’

i nfluen ce of C h a rles Stuart s vir tues could have been aught ,

but devoted — A nd yet w hat de a dly feuds came forth from

this a ffection ! A las his rich heritage h a s brou ght n o bless
ing wi t h it I never could look upon these bro a d land s as
.

ours W o u ld that his child h ad lived an d th en B ut

they are all gone n o w — all gone l — Al a s what h a d we to do .

with court s or courts wi th u s ?

, O ur do m estic comfo rts have
been blighted — our he a rth left desolate the c hildren for
w hom you toiled a n d hoped and pl anned have been removed
, , ,

from us — nipped i n the bud or the first blossoming ! — Au d ,

oh C ecil
,
t ake the words o f a dyi n g w oman to heart when she ,

tells you th a t you will go down c hil dless to your grave if y ou

, ,

do n ot a bsolve ou r beloved C onst a nce from her promise to h im

whom she c an neither respect nor love She will c omplete .

the con t ract though it should be h er de a th warr a nt rather

,
-

th an let it be s a id a daughter o f the house of C e cil acted dis

honourably she will comple te it R obert she will complete ,

it a nd then die
L a dy C ecil overcome by emotion and exertion fell ba c k
, ,

fainting and exh austed on her pillow Recovering herself .

,
 0 TH E B U CCAN EE R .

r ac te r ise a funeral procession is too frequently destroyed by

th e empty pomp an d heartle s sness which attend it but in th e
death ch a mber there is nothing of this ; th e very a tmosphere
-

seems impregnated with the sti llness o f the time when there
w a s no life in the broad e arth and when only God moved ,
”
o n the face o f the waters O ur bre a th comes slowly and .

heavily to our lips and we murmur forth ou r words as if the

,

spirit watched to record them in the unchanging book o f im

m ortality .

In du e time the funeral train o f Lady C ecil prepared to

,

escort th e corpse to its final home Sir R obert was to o ill and .
,

too deeply a fflicted to be present at the cere m ony a nd as h e

had no near rel a tive Sir W ill m ott B urrell o f B urrell the
, ,
’
knight to who m his daughter s hand w a s plighted w a s ex ,

e c te d to t ake his station as chief mourner The people

p .

w aited for some hours with u ntiring p a tience the ol d stew a rd

paced backwards and forwards fro m the great gate and at la s t ,

took h is s tand there looking ou t from between its bars hoping

, ,

th a t wild and reckless as B urrell really was he would not put

, ,

so gre a t an a ffront upon the C ecil fa mily as to su ffer i ts late ,

mis tress to go thus unhon oured to the grave .

The day advanced and as neither the gentleman nor any

, ,

on e to sho w cause for his absence a ppeared strange whisper , ,

ings and surmises arose amongs t the crow d which had assem ,

bled from all the villages on the isl a nd a s to the prob able ,

m otive of this most ill advised del a y More than on e messenger

-
.

was despatched to the to p o f Minster C hurch to look ou t an d

see if any person like Sir W illmott w as crossing the King s ’

Ferry the only outlet in general use from the island to the
,

m a in land : but though the pas s age boat conducted ( a s it was -

t ermed ) by J abez Tippet was evidently employed as much as ,

usu al there was n o token to j ustify farther w a iting The

, .

Rev J onas F l ee tw or d on e of the soundest of Puri tan divines

.
, ,

stood like a statue of cast iron in the door way his arms folded ,

on his bre a s t and his brow contracting into a narrow and

,

fretted arch a s the minute hand m oved round and round the
,
-

di a l of the ol d clock A t l ength assuming to himself the.

command which in those times w as as willingly ceded to the

,

Reformed minister as i t h ad formerly b een to the n ot more

arbitrary C atholic pries t he ordered the pro cession to tarry ,
 T H E B U CCAN EE R . 21

n o longer the coming o f him whose feet were shod with

”
heaviness but to dep a rt forthwith in the name of the Lord
,
.

The place of interment w as at E ast C hurch a distan ce of ,

about four miles from C ecil Place and a s they paced it

but slowly the increasing chill of the g a thering clouds gave
,

intimation th a t the prime of day was sinking into the even

tide before the spire was in sight A s they at length ascended .

the hill upon the summit of whi ch was the vault of the C ecils
, ,

a young gentleman mounted on a grey and noble ch a rger met

, ,

the funeral train s o suddenly th a t tho s e who preceded halted , ,

a n d for a mome n t it was rumoured that Sir Willmott B urrell , ,

’
’
though late an d last h a d taken the lower ro a d from King s
,

Ferry an d so arrived in time to behold the remains of her wh o

,

was to have been his mother depo s ited in the tomb ,

.

When the people observed however th at th e sal u ta tion of

'

, ,

respect made by the youth to the R e v Jonas F lee tw or d w as .

followed by no sign o f recogni ti on they moved silen tly onward , ,

’
marvelling amongst themselves at the young gentlema n s keep
ing a little in a dvan ce of th e clergyman so as to take the ,

exact station which belonged to the chief mourner H e was .

habited in a suit of the deepest bl ack and though the cloak

which fell in ample folds from h is throat conceal ed his figure ,

yet his movements indicated th a t it was slight and graceful .

H is broad hat comple tely shaded his face but the luxurian t ,

curls of light air which m oiste ned by the misty atm osphere,
, ,

fel l neglige n tly bene a th its brim in timated that he was more
akin to the C avalier th a n the R oundhead .

B y the time the cerem ony was concluded and the di vin e ,

had finished on e of those energetic and powerful appeals to the

feelings which so e ffectually roused or subdued a s it pleased ,

him to desire d a rkness had nearly shrouded the surrounding

,

landscape ; an d the multitude who m respect o r curiosi t y had ,

assembled retired from the churchyard and wended to their

, ,

homes The year was in its third m onth and the weather
.
, ,

which when H u gh Dalton l a nded had been clear an d fine

, , ,

w as n o w foggy a nd cold :

d
Th e e w y n i gh t h ad w i th h e r f os t y sh a d e r
I m m an etl d l l th e w rl d a n d th e sti fi gr u n d
a o ,
‘
o
Sp ar k le d i n i c e

Yet the steed of the youth wh o had so unceremoniously j oined ,

’
L ady C ecil s funeral , was cropping the withered grass fro m the
c 3
22 TH E B U C CA N E E B .

churchyard graves while his maste r apparen tly unco n scious of

, ,

the deepeni n g night leaned aga inst one of the richly Or n aJ

,

m e n te d stone sl abs that marked the entrance to the vault .

Suddenly the cl a tter of horse s hoofs sounded 0 11 th e crisp ’

road the cavalier involun tarily pl a ced his hand on h is sword

, ,

a n d his horse lifted his head fro m th e e a rth bent back his ,

ears an d w hinnied in the low and peculiar tone that serves to

,

intim a te the approach O f str angers The travellers ( for there .

were two )halted at the churchyard gate .

W hat ho there ! excl a imed the foremost you sir w h o , ,

are ponderi n g in gr a veyards at this hour canst tell me if Lady

’

C ecil s funeral took place this m orning ?

H er lady ship was buried thi s evening replied the other , ,

at the s a me time fairly drawing h is sword ou t of its scabbard ,

though the movement w a s con cealed by his clo a k .

They waited then ?

They did for on e who s e presence was not n eeded
, .

A n d pray how know you that ? or knowing think y ou it

, ,

wisdom Sir Dolorous to give forth such knowledge when it

, , ,

m ight be h im they tarri ed for w h o q u e s tion e th ?

I t i s because I know you Sir W illmott Burrell that I am , ,

so free o f speech replied t he youth vau lting into his saddle

, ,

an d I repeat it your presence w a s not n eeded The la dy

, .
,

as you t ruly know loved you no t while living ; it w a s well

, ,

therefore th a t you profa ned n ot h e r burial by a sho w of false

,
”
grief .

“
H ere s a r u ffler !
’
exclaimed the other turning to hi s ,

follower .A nd pray w h o a re you

”
Y ou shall know th a t good sir when y ou least desire it
, , ,

answered he O f the black clo ak reining up hi s hor se that , ,

pawed an d pranced impatiently : he then loo s ened th e bridle ,

and would have cro s sed B urrell to p as s into th e highway

but the other shouted to his associ a te H ol d stop him , , ,

R obin stop him in the n a me o f the Lord ti s doubtless on e ’

o f the fellows who have assailed his H ighness s l ife

’
a level
—
ler a leveller ! a friend of Miles Sy n der comb or some such ,

ru fli an w h o is tarrying in this rem ote part of the island for

,

some Opportunity of esca pe If you are an innocent man you . ,

”
w il l remain i f guilty this shall be my warran t
, .

H e attempted to pull forth a pistol from his be lt but before , ,

’

h is purpose could be accomplished the point of his adversary s ,

 T H E B U CC AN EE R . 23

rapier rested on his throat which at the same instant w a s

, , ,

grasped with m ore strength than s o slight a person could be

supposed to possess B urrell cried to his comrade for hel p but
.
,

he w a s already ou t of hearing having s e t spurs to his horse the

,

m oment he had seen the assault he then entreated for qu a rter

in an altered an d humbled tone .

I am n either a robber n or a murderer replied the youth ; ,

but n ot having pistols I hold my o w n safety of too much

, ,

value to relax my gr a sp till you pledge your hon our n ot to

,

attack me but with the same weapon I can use in my de

fence .

“
B u rrell pledged his word as a C hristian and a soldier
the stranger withdrew his s w ord .

”
A nd n ow said he fixing himself firmly l n his seat an d
, , ,
“
rolling his clo a k around h is left a rm if you wish for honour ,

able combat I e m at your service ; if not s ir, I ta ke my way

, , ,
”
and you c an proceed on yours H e drew up to his full .

height and awaited B urrel l s answer w h o s at as i f unde

,
’

te r m i n e d what course to pursue H e did n ot long hesita te ;

.

the villain s re a dy frien d — treachery — was at his el bow ; in

’

an instant the pistol was presented to the head of his con fi din g
antag onist who though unprepared for such an act bent for
, , ,

ward previous to the e ffort of raising himsel f in the saddle to

give m ore strength to his good steel A t the very instant that .

he bowed himself the ru fii an fired ! The ball passed O ve r

him — h e swayed in his saddl e the next m omen t rei ning up ,

his horse he prepared to punish such dastardly conduct as it

,

deserved ; but as worthless p u rposes are sometimes aecom

,

p l ish e d by worthy instruments th e fl eet steed that B urrell ,

rode was far on its way tow a rds Minster its track marked by ,

fi r e sparks w hich gl ittered in the thickening darkness

-

, .

The youth remained on the sam e spot until the sound of the
’

horse s hoofs were lost in the distan ce and then setting spurs , ,

to his ow n gallant grey proceeded on his course, .

249 THE B ITCCAN E E R .

C H A PT E R I I I .

N o w is th e m e w e n ti h ra k es th e i r”rev el s k ee p ;
K m dl e rs o f n o t, e n e m i es f s l ee p
o .

A b a n w s a m a y b e l ik e a fo x or a c u b,
A n d t e a c h a l ec t u re o u t o f a t u b,
A n d g iv e th e w ic k e d w orl d a r u b,
W h i c h n o body ca n de n y .

A b re w er m a y be as b o l d as H ec t o r ,

W h e n h e h a d dru n k h is c u p o f n e c ta r ;
A n d a b re w er m a y b e a L o rd P ro t ec t or ,

W h ic h n ob ody ca n de n y .

B u t h ere re m a in s t h e s t ra n g e s t t h i n g ,

H o w t h i s b re w er ab o u t h is l i q u or did b ri n g
T o b e an E m pe ror o r K in g ,

t i c h n o b o dy ca n den y .

Th en pu s h t h e b re w e r s l i q u or a bo u t
‘

A n d l o u dl y l e t e ac h t ru e m an s h o u t
Sh o u t

Shout not I pray y ou but rather keep silence exclaimed

, , ,

a n old wom an cautiously opening the door of a room in which

,

the revell ers were assembled a nd thu s interrupting their rude , ,

’

but animated harmony shout n ot : you may he ar a hors e s

tr a mp wi thout and C ri sp grumble s so hard th a t sure I am tis ,
’

’ ”
n o friend s footstep .

W h y mother cried on e of the comp a ny winking on the

, , ,

rest ,
you s ay it w as a horse you heard ?
Well ! and I say s o s t ill good M a ster R ou pall , .

Sure you do n ot m ake friends o f hor s es ?

B etter make them O f horses th a n of ass es replied the ,

crone bitterly an d the l augh w a s r aised ag a inst R ou pall

, ,

who as with all j esters could ill brook the j est that was at h is
, ,

o w n expense .

I hear n o tramp an d see no re a son w h y you shoul d inter

,

ru pt us thus with your booting you ill favoured ow l he ,

-

exclaimed fiercely .

H ush ! sh e repli ed placing her finger on her lip while

, ,

the little terrier th a t stood at her feet as if comprehending the ,

signal crept s tealthily to the door and laying h i s nose on the

, ,
‘
 T H E B U CC A N EE R . 25

floor drew in his breath ; and then erecting his ears and
, ,

sti ffening his short tail uttered a lo w determined growl

, .

”
There are strangers and ne a r us too observed a n older
, ,

m an who had hitherto remained silent ;

, there is little doubt
o f their being unfriendly : we had therefore better seeing it ,

would be imprudent to fight retreat ,

.

Retreat ! and why I wonder ? in quired R ou pall th e

, ,

most reckless and daring of the s e t ; an d whose e fforts were

inv a riably directed to w ards meriting the soubriqu et of Jack
the Rover by which he was usu ally designated a mong his
,

associates ; what care we whether they be frien ds or foes ! ,

let them enter O ld Noll has to o much to do abroad to heed

.
,

a few n oisy troopers in an obscure h ostelry in the Isle of

’
Sh epe y f
Y ou are a l w ays h eedless observed the other ; ,
"
would sell your so ul for a n hour s mi rth ’
.

My soul thanks y ou for the complimen t truly Master , ,

Grimstone and my body would repay you for it if th ere was

, ,

time whi ch I t ake it there lack s just n o w for i t is past

, , , ,

eleven O bserve gentlemen Jack R ou pall retreats not

.
,
he ,

only retires A s he spoke he pushed from a corner of the

.
,

apartment a huge settle o f bl a ck oak that apparently req u ired

, ,

the strength of s ix men to displace but whi ch the trooper ,

’

handled as easily as if it h ad been a child s cradle H e then .

slid aside a panel that fitted m ost accurately into the w all of
, ,

which i t a ppeared a part ; and in a few moments the party ,

consisting o f some fi ve or six had entered the aperture carry , ,

ing w ith them the remnants of their feast at the particular ,

request o f the old woman w h o exhibited great alarm lest any

,

symptom o f revelling shoul d remain The l a st had hardly .

made good his retreat when a loud knock a t the door confirmed
,

the dame in her apprehensions .

In the devil s name s h e growled h o w am I to shove

’

this mountai n into its pl a ce ? On e o f you must remain here

I might as well a ttempt to throw B lackburn cliff into the s ea .

’ ”
I ll stay then i f you ll wait a minute ’
,
replied R ou pal l ,

I defy the devil and all his works and old N oll himself the ,
”
worst of the m so here goes .

A nother a nd a louder noise testified the tr aveller s im

’

patience but the summ ons was repeated a third time before
the settle was replaced and the roo m restored to its usuall y
,
26 T H E B U CC AN EE R .

desolate and inhospitable appearance R ou pal l as c ended a .

narrow ladder th a t led to the loft o f the cottage like dwel li ng

,
-

carrying with him a p a ck resembling those used by itineran t

venders of goods and Mo ther H ays ( for su ch was her c og
nome n ) holding the flickering candle in one hand unfa stened ,

the door with the other while C risp crouched an d snarled a t ,

her feet .

You could not have been all a sleep dame sa id the , ,

’
str a nger as he threw o ff his horsem a n s c lo a k a nd hung his
, ,

rapier on the back of the ne arest seat for I distinctly s aw ,

ligh ts I s your son within

.

r N o m a rry good sir ; he is far aw a y in London with

, , , ,

his m as ter Sir W il lmott B urrell who was looked for ho m e to

, ,

d a y but c a me not a s I he a r from s ome neighbours belon gi n g

, , ,

w h o were at Lady C ecil s

’
to E a s t C hurch and Warden ,
”
funer a l .

Do you expect me to believe there is no one in the house

but yourself
O ne other kind gentlem an a pedlar m an a simple body ,
-

w h o lies above
’
he s weary travelling and sleeps s oundly ,
.

The s tr anger took off his hat ; an d a s he shook his head ,

throwing completely b a ck the h air that h a d in s ome degr e e

overshadowed his face the o ld woman started and an unde , ,

fined expression of astoni shment and doubt burst from her lips .

The gentlem a n ei t her did n o t or a ppe a red not to notice the ,

e ffect h e produced but carefully dre w fro m his bo s o m a small

book or tablet and read in it for some minute s with much at
,

tention turning over and over the o ne or t wo leaves upon

,

which his eyes were fixed .

A nd are you sure good wom a n that no other persons are

, ,

in your house save this s a m e pedl a r P he inquired now ,

fixing his gaze steadi ly o n the w ithered coun tenance of Mother

H ays .

’
Alack ! y es sir few travellers come to the lone widow s
, ,
’ ’ ’
door a nd it s a n out o the w ay pl ace i wouldn t your honour
,
‘

like some s u pper or a s toop of wine or m ayhap a glass of

, , , ,

br an dy P— i t is useful these raw nights ; or a ras her and

eggs
A re y ou quite ce rtain there is n o other in the house and ,
”
that your son is really not returned ? he again inquired ,
heedless of her invitation .
2 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

surrounding objects — giving a simple though n ot uncourteous ,

“ ” ”
reply of Yea or N ay to the leading question s occasio n
, ,

ally put to him by his rou gh yet inquisitive comp a nion A t ,

.

length when the ra shers were dres s ed and deposi ted o n the
,

table flanked on either side with a fl agon of C a n a ry and of

,

G a scoigne and the traveller had done ample justice to his

,

cheer he with a concili a ting s mile a nd bo w wished t he wido w

, , ,
”
and R ou pall Good night a nd follo w ed R obin up the l a dder , ,

obs erving that his rest must be ve ry brief as he had occasion to ,

start early next morning and begging the good widow and her ,

friend to finish the draught of her ow n excellent wine to which ,

he feared to render fa rther justice Some time elapsed ere .

R obin returned ; and when he did he percei ved th a t R ou pall ,

was in no gentle humour .

’
H a ve you w a r m ed the chicken s nest and taken good an d ,

tender c are of the gentle bird accor ding to orders R obin ? , ,

Gadzooks ! I see so m a ny cocks w ith hens feathers now a ’

-

day s m
s w e e t scented C a v a liers
-
w h o could n o more draw a ,

trigger th a n they could mount the moon th a t I think H ugh ,

Dalton mu s t line the Fire fl y with miniver to bring them s a fely

-

over A murrai n take such fellows ! s ay I

.
c lose mouthed -

long e a red scoundrels D — n it ! I love a frank heart

-
.

”
A nd a bloody h and M a s ter R ou pal l , .

Stu ff s tu ff ! R obin few of either party c a n show clean

hands these ti m es but does yon gall ant c ome from over sea ?
I t might be th a t he dropped from the sk y for th a t is over ,
”
the sea you know
, .

Faugh ! y ou are as snappish as a cur whelp I m e an .

,
what is he about ?
Sleeping Zooks ! I m sure he sleeps
’
. .

Is he of good credit ?
F aith R ou pall I know not his banker
, , .

Good again M a s ter R obin ; upon what grinding sto ne

, -

were y our wits sharpened ?

“
R ight loyally good trooper
; even upon King Log
, re ,

plied R obin grinning maliciously a nd then a s if fearful that

,
,

the gathering stor m would forthwi t h burst he continued ,

“ ’

C ome let s h a ve a carouse and wake the sleepers i n that

,
,

snug nest between wall s ; let s welcome in the morning like ’

g a y gallants while I tell you the court news a nd exhibit the

,
,

last court fashion as it graces m y own beautiful form

,
 T H E B U CC A N EE R . 29

T he man looked at him an d smiled, soothed into something

resembling good nature by the o dd humour and appearance of
-

his old companion who was tricked ou t with much precision

, , ,

i n a blue doublet and yellow hose while a large h o w of sad ,

coloured rib a nd with fringed ends da ngled from either knee

, , .

H e then glanced a look of co mplacency on his o w n proper

person an d replied
, ,
“
N o let them sleep Robin ; they are better o ff than I
, , .

That m a idenlike friend of yours has taken possession of m y

’
be d after your mother s routing m e up as if I had been a
,

stoat or a dormouse O f course he is a C avalier : I suppose

.

he has a name ; bu t is that too a secret , ,

”
Master R ou pall repli ed the other with a look of great
, ,
’ ’
sagacity as to the person i t s h a rd to say who s who these
, , ,

ti m es and as to the name why as you say I suppose he has , , ,

a name and doubtless a good on e though I cannot exactly

, ,

now cal l to min d what it is for at court

’
D — n court interrupted the other you re all court
’
smitten I m thinkin g
,
In pl ain E n glish I want to know wh o
.
,

this youngster is ? When H ugh is in o n e of h is roman ces he ,

cares not who o r what h e sends u s either here or what is o f , , ,

m ore consequence on the m ain l a n d — a n d we are to receive

,
-

’
them and tend them and all the time mayhap are hazardi n g , , ,
’
ou r o w n heads ; for I d bet an even w a ger t hat on e o f the
’
ferrymen is a spy in the pay of old red nose and i t s little -

we get for such hazards it s man y a day since even a keg of

”
brandy has been run ashore .

“
Y ou have s worn an oath for which I should exact I , ,

think the sum of three shillings and four pen ce J ack the R over ;
,
-

but I fear me thou hast n ot wherewithal to satisfy the law

, , ,

even in a small thing until thou ofl e re st thy neck unto the

’

halter as a sacrifice B ut did H ugh Dalton ever bring you or

.
,

an y m an into trouble yet ? continued R obin composing his

, ,

c omic features into a

grave a nd quiet character .

”
’

I can t say that he did .

I am sure he has h a d opportunities en ough .

’ ’
I m n o t going to deny that H ugh s a fine fellow R obin ,

but I remember long ago a y thi rteen or fourtee n years past

, , , ,

before he entered on the regular buccaneering trade there ,

’
wasn t a fi rmer C avalier am ongst th e whole of us Kentish men .

’
Blazes h ow he fought at Marston ! B ut a fe w years sunning
 TH E B U CC AN EE R .

the hot H avannah either scorches the spirit ou t of a man

o ff ,
”
or burn s it in .

A nd what reason have you to think that H ugh is n ot n ow

a good C av alier ? ’
P shaw ! he grows ol d and it s n o good trying to pull ,
’
O liver down H e s charmed
. A y y ou may laugh ; but n o .
,

of ou l d h a ve escaped the bullet o f Miles S n de r com b

on e u s c y ,

to s ay nothing o f d a rk J ohn T al bot I tell ye he is spell ,

guarded H ugh is a knowing on e and h as some pl a n a foo t,

. ,
-

o r he woul dn t keep be a ting about this coast as he do e s after

’
,

being so long from it and using every county but Sussex an d,

Kent I wonder too what placed y ou Mas ter R obin in

. , , , ,

B urrell of B urrell s servi ce : I thought you were a man of

’

”
taste till then .

R obin again grinned ; and, as his wide mouth li terally ex

tended from ear to ear h is fa ce looked as it were divided by , , ,

some accident ; so sep a r a te did the chin appear from the upper
portion of the counten ance .

” ’ ’

If you wo n t talk growled out the trooper ,

I hope you ,
”
will p a y those who do so for your amu s eme n t .

Thou wouldst have me believe then thou a rt no genuine , ,

disinterested t alker A h ! R ou pal l R ou pall a cquaintance wi th

. ,

courts has taught me th at n a ture in the first pl a ce and society

, ,

in the second h a ve imposed upon us mortals tw o m ost disa

,

eea b l e neces s ities : the on e is th a t of eating ; the other that

g r ,

o f talking N ow nature is a tyrant and society is a tyran t

. ,

and I being a tyrant hater

,
-

Slife man — or mongrel — or whatever you choose to

,
” “
call your twisted carcass interrupted R ou pall angr ily , hold , ,

your jibber I wonder Joan C romwell did not seize u pon

.

y o u and
,
ke e p you as her chief ape while you were making ,

y our c ourtly a cquaintance A pretty figure for courts. truly ,

”
-l ah ! ah ! ah ! A s h e lau ghed he pointed his finger ,

s com full towards R obin H ays who however little h might

y e , ,

care to j est upon his ow n deformity was but ill in clined to ,

toler a te those who even hinted at his defects A s the trooper .

persevered h is victim grew pale an d trembled with suppressed

,

rage The man perceived the e ffect his cruel mockery pro
.

du ce d and continued to revil e and take to pieces the mis sh a pen

,
-

portions of h is body with most m erciless a n a tomy Robi n .

'

Lofl er e d, in return , neither observation n or reproach at fi rst

 T H E B U CCAN EE R . 3 1

trembling and chan ge of colo u r were the only indication s o f

his feelings — then he moved restlessly o n his seat an d his ,

brigh t an d deeply sunken eyes gleamed with un tamable ma

l ign ity ; but as R ou pal l followed on e j eer more brutal th a n
,

the rest with a still more boisterous laugh and, in the very
, ,

rapture of his success threw himself b a c k i n his chair the

, ,

tiger spirit of R obin burst forth to its full extent he sprang

upon the trooper so suddenly that the Goliath was perfectly ,

conquered a nd lay upon the floor helpless as an overgrown a n d

,

o v erfed N ewfoundl a nd dog upon whose throat a sh a rp and

,

bitter terrier has fastened A t len gth after much exertion he

.
, ,

succeeded in standi n g erect again s t the wall o f the a partment ,

’
thou gh still unable to diseng age R obin s long arms and bon y
fingers fro m h is throat where he hung like a mill s t one : it
,
-

was some minutes ere the gigantic man had power to throw
from him the a ttenuated being whom on ordin a ry occasions , ,

he could have lifte d between his finger and thumb .

R obin gathered him self up on the s pot to whi c h R ou pall

had flun g h im ; his chin resting on his knees round whi c h ,

his arms were clasped his narrow che st and shoulders heaving
with the exertion of the conflict ; his eyes wild an d glittering ,

e t fixed upon his advers a ry like those of som e fierce animal

y ,

eager to dart upon its prey The trooper shook hi m self and
.
,

passed his hand on ce or twice over his throat as if to as ce r ,

tain whether or n ot he were real ly str a ngled ; then returning

’
R obin s gaze as steadily though with a far di fferent expres
,

sion he s a id
, ,

U pon m y soul y ou are as strong a hand at a grapple as I

,

would care to m eet ; n or woul d I believe did I not kno w ,

it that R ou pall the R over w h o has borne more blows upo n

, ,

his thick head than there a re days in February an d rises six ,

feet tw o without boots, could be h alf choked by little R obin

the Ranger w h o stands forty inches m his shoes ; —but I
,

beg p ardon for o ffending a man of your mettle I warrant .

y ou safe from any future j ests o f mine I like n o t quarrel ling

with old friends — when there is n othing to be got by it .

Tut m an ! leave off your m oping and shake hands like a

, , ,
’
Y ou wo n t ! why you a re not goi n g to con vert
’
C hristian .

your body into a n u rsery for h ad blood are you ? W hat

would pretty B arbara Iver k s a y to that ?
R obin laughed a l augh so loud s o shr ill so unearthl y that
, , ,
3 2 T H E B U CC AN EE R .

i t echoed like a death howl along the walls ; then stretched

-

ou t and looked on his ill formed limbs extended his long an d

-
,

grappling fingers a nd muttered bitterly

,
C urse l cur se ! ,
’
curses on myself ! I am a dainty m orsel for a fair girl 8
love ! A h ! ah ! ah ! a d a inty m orsel he repeated a nd .
,

covered his face with his broad p alms Thus shut t ing ou t .
,

the sight of his ow n deformitie s and rocking himself back ,

wards and forwards moaning and j ibbering like on e dis

,

tr au gh t he remained for several minutes

,
A t leng t h poor .

C risp w h o h ad been a most anxious spectator of the scene

, ,

ran timidly t o h is ma ster and sta nding on his hind legs

, , ,

beg a n licking his fingers with an a ffe c tionate e a rnestness ,

more soothing to his agitated feelings th a n all the sincere

apologies of th e trooper whose rough good nature was really
,
-

m oved a t wh a t had taken pl a ce Slowly uncovering his face .

,

R obin pressed the little anim al to his bosom bendi n g his head ,

over it and muttering in a tone the dog seemed fully to n u

,

ders tan d by th e low w hine with which he returned the c a re ss

, .

A fter a time his eyes me t those of R ou pall s but their meaning

'

was totally chan ged : they n o longer sp a rkled with fury but ,

were as q u iet and subdued as if nothing had o c curred .

You ll shake hands now exclaimed the trooper

’

, an d ,
’”
make the child s bargain .

Robin rising extended his hand ; and i t was cordi all y

, ,

taken by his advers a ry wh o soon a fter removed the settle

, ,

and entered the conce al ed room to j oin his slumbering co in

panions .

W h a tever were R obin s plans reflections or feelings time

’

, , ,

alone can develope for laying himself before the yet burning
,

embers of the fire he appropriated the str anger s clo ak as a

,
’

coverlet in w hich to enshroud himself a nd C risp

, if
oral demonstrations are to be credited w as soon in a profound ,

sleep .
 M
T H E B UCCAN E E R .
’

3 3

C H A P T E R IV .

Y et n ot th e m or e
h d
C e ase I to w a n e r , w e r e th e u ses haun t
l pi g h dy g v
C ea r s r n , o r s a r o e, or s un n y h ll i ,
i t th l v d
Sm W i th e o e o f sa c re s on g .

=k 4 a

Gr e at th i g a nd fu ll of won d e r in ou r e ars
n s, , ,

d g from th e w orl d th ou h as t r e v e a l ed
F a r i ffe r i n , ,
D i v ne I n t erp re te r
i .

TH E m orning that followed w as rife with the sweet and

b almy air and the gay sunshine s o duly pri zed in ou r variable ,

climate becau se o f the rarity o f their occurren ce ; more espe

,

c iall y when the year is yet too young to as sist with vigo u r

the energies o f all industrious nature -

The trees in their .
,

faint greenery looked cheerful as the face o f childhood : the

,

merry birds were busied after their ow n gentle fashion form ing
their dwellings in the covert and solitude of the wooded slopes
which e ffectually sheltered C ecil Place from the chill blast of
the neighbouring sea The freshened breeze came so kindly
.

through the thick underwood as to be scarcely felt by t he ,

early wanderers of the upl an d hill or valley green E ven the .

rough trooper R ou pal l y ielded t o the salutary influence of

, ,
’
the m om and as he toiled in his pedlar s gui se acro s s the
downs which were mottled with many hundred sheep and
, ,
’
pointed the pathway to K ing s Ferry his heart softened ,

within him Visions of his once happy home in C umberlan d

.

-
o f the aged parents who fostered his infan cy — of the

companions of his y outh before he had lived in sin or dwelt

, ,

with sorro w — o f the innoce nt girl who had loved though , ,

sh e had forsaken h i m — a ll passed before him ; th e retro

spect be came the pre s ent ; and his he a rt swelled p ainfully

within him ; for he thought on what he had been and o n ,

what he was until draw ing his coar s e h and across his brows
, , ,

he gave forth a dissolute song s eeking like many who ought , ,

to be wiser to stifle con s cience by tumultu ous noise

,
.

A bout the sa m e hour o ur friend R obin H ays was m ore

,
’
than usu a lly a c tive in his m other s house which we have al ,

re a dy de s cribed a nd which was known by the n a me of the

,

Gull s N est
’
The ol d woman had experien ced continued
.

kind ness from the few fa milies o f rank and wealth who at that
D
3 4 TH E B U CCA N EE R ,
ti m e resided in Sh epe y With a good deal of tact she ma .
,

n age d outw a r dly to steer clear of all part y feuds though peo ple
said sh e w a s by no me ans so s imple as she pretended bu t -

the univers al sympathy of her neighbours was excited by her

widowed and almost childl es s st a te three fine sons havi ng
been sl a in during the civil w a rs — and th e fourth our s e ,

qu ainta nce Ro bin being singul a rly undervalued on th e ordi

, ,

nary principle yve m a y presume th a t

,
a prophet h a th no ,
”
honour in h is ow n countr y This feeling o f depreciation .

R obin certainly return ed with interest indulging a m o s t bi t ter , ,

a nd oc c a sion a lly biting conte m pt for all the high and low in
, ,

his vici n ity the family a t C ecil Place forming the only e xc ep
,

tion Despite his defects n a tur a l and acquired he h a d

. , ,

ever m anaged to gain the good O pinion of B urrell o f B urrell

, ,

who though frequently on the i sl a nd possessed only a small

, , ,

portion of land within its bound a ry Into his service he en .

te r e d for the purpose of accompanying the knight to London

as travelling groom ; a nd he had rendered himself so u seful
-

while sojourning in th e metropolis th a t B urrell would fa in ,

have ret ained him in hi s employ — a proj ect however to , ,

which R obin strenuously obj ected the moment i t w a s com m u ,

n ic ate d to him Nature he said. had doubtless made h im

, ,

a bond sl a ve but he liked h er fetters so little that he never

-

,
”
would be sl a ve to any on e or a ny thing beside H e therefore .

’
returned to the Gull s N est on the night his l a te m a s ter a r g -

rived a t C ecil Place from which his mother s home was dist a nt
,
’

about three miles .

N ever w a s there a dwelling more appropria tely named than

the cottage of Mother H a y s It stood on either a real or a r t i . s

fi cial eminence between Sheerness and W a rden fa c ing wh a t ,

“ ”
is called The C ant and very ne a r th e small vill age of E ast
, .

C hurch The cl a y and shingle of w hich it w as composed

.

would have ill encountered the whirlwind that in tempestuous

weather fier cely yelled a round the cli ffs had it n ot been for the ,

fi r m s upport a fforded to it by the rem ains of an an cient w a tch

’
tower against which the Gull s N est leaned
, Perched on .

this remarkable spot and nestli n g close to the mouldering but

,

stil l s turdy wall s the very stones of which dispu ted with the
,

blast the hut formed no in a ppropriate dwelling for withered

,

age and if we m a y be allo w ed the term

, , picturesque de for ,

mity .R obin could run up and down every cli ff in the neigh
3 6 THE B U CCAN EE R .

every evil he redressed was a fresh jewel in his sceptre .

N e v er thele s s as we h a ve seen the Buc c aneer had decide d on

, ,

o ffering his servi c es to the C o m m onwe a lth h e believed th a t

C romwell knew h is talents and v alued h is courage ; but he al s o
knew th a t t he Protector piqued hi m self upon con s i s tency an d ,

th a t c on sequently there would be v ast di ffi culties to over

, ,

come a s a price h a d more th a n once been set upon his head

,
.

W e mu s t however cond u ct ou r readers b a ck into the fresh

, ,

m orning we have instanced as one o f the favourites of spring .

’
Le a vi n g R obin to his preparations for the str anger s breakfa st ,

a nd premi s ing th a t he h a d previously dismi s sed the midnight

revellers on their respe c tive err a n ds we will roam for a while ,

amid the sheltered walks of C ecil Pl a ce .

I t w a s s itu a ted on the slope of the hill leading to th e ol d ,

mon a stery of Minster Although n othing n o w exist s except the

.

chur ch a few broken w all s a nd a modernised house ; formed

, ,

o u t of one o f the principal entra n ces to what was on ce a n ex

t en s ive r a nge o f monastic bui l dings ; yet at the time of which

‘

we tre a t the ruins o f the nunnery founded by Se xbu rga the

, , ,

widow of E r com bert Ki n g of Kent extended down the rising

, ,

ground pre s enting many picture s que points of v ie w from the

,

s m all but highly —cultivated pleasure grounds of C e c il Place .

N othing could be more beautiful than the prospe c t fro m a

rude terr a ce whi ch had been th e favouri te walk of L ady C ecil .

The sm all luxuriant hills folding one over th e other a nd

, ,

t ermin a ti n g in the m os t exquisite v alleys and bo sky glade s the

i magin a tio n can c onceive — the ri ch mixture of pas tu r e Ian d
m eado w lan d — the Down s stretching to King s Ferry
’

, ,

whitened by thous ands of sheep whose ble a tings and who se ,

bell s m a de the i sle musi c al while beyond th e n a rr ow , ,

S w ale wideni n g into the open s e a shone like a silver girdle in

, ,

t h e r ay s of the glori ous sun were obj ects indeed deliciou s

-

, ,

to g a ze upon .

A l t hough dur ing the Protectorate some pains had been

, ,

t aken to render Sheerness then a very incon s iderable vill a ge a

, ,

pl a ce of s treng t h and s a fety and the ancien t c as tle o f Queen

,

borough h a d been pulled down by the Parliam en ta rian s a s ,

deficient in strength a nd utili ty no one visi t ing only the south ,

e m a n d we s tern p a rt s of the i s l a nd could for a momen t i m agine

th a t th e in ter ior contain e d spots of such posi tive an d cultivate d

,

bea u ty .
 T H E B U CC AN E E R . 3 7

I t was yet early when C onstantia C ecil accompanied by a

, ,

fema le friend entered her favourite fl ow er garden by a private

,
-

door and strolled towards a sm all G oth ic temple oversh a dowe d

, ‘

by wide spreading oaks which sheltered by the surrounding hills

-

, , ,

had num bered more than a century of unscathed and u n dim i

n ish e d beauty and had as yet esc aped the rude pruning of th e
,

woodm a n s axe The morning habit of th e noble C onstan ce

’
.

fitted tightly to the th r ea t where it was ter m inated by a full ,

ru ff of starched muslin a n d the w a ist was encircled by a wide

,
’
b a nd o f black crape fr om w h ich the drapery descended in
,

m assive folds to her feet She press ed the soft gree n turf with.

a more measured step than w a s her wont as if the body sh ared ,

’
the mi n d s sad heaviness H er head was uncovered save that .
, ,

as she passed in to the garden she had carelessly thrown on a ,

veil of black musli n through which her bright hair shone with
,

the l u stre and richness of the finest satin her throat a nd fore
he a d appeared most dazzlingly white in contra st with her
sable dress .

The lad y by whom she was accompanied was n ot so tall ,

and of a much slighter form ; her limbs delicately m oulded ,

and her features m ore attractive tha n beautiful There was .

that a bout her whole demeanour which is expressively ter m ed

coq u etry not the coquetry of a ction but of feel ing : her eyes
, ,

were dark and brillian t her mouth full and pouting an d ,

the nose was only saved from vul garity by that turn, tg
describe which we are compelled to use a foreig n term — it
was u n peu r etr ou s s e her complexion w a s of a clear olive
’

through whi c h the blood glo wed warmly whenever called to her
cheek by any p a rtic u lar emotion The dress she wore wi thout b e .
,

ing g a y w as costly : the fu ll skirt of crimson grogr a m descended

,

not so low as to prevent her small and beautifully turned a nkle -

from being distin c tly seen and the c a rdinal of wrough t p u rple ,

velvet which had been hastily flung over her shoulders was
, ,

lined a nd bordered with the finest ermi ne N or did the con .

trast between the l a dies end here th e full an d rich tone d -

voice of C onstance C ecil was the perfection of harmony while ,

the light and gay speech of h er companion might be c a lle d

melody — the sweet playful melody o f an untau g ht bird .

You must not m ourn so un ceasingly my de a r C o n stance , ,

she said looking kindly into the sorrowing face of her fr iend
,

D 3
3 8 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

I could give you coun s el — but counsel to the distresse d is

”
like ch ains thrown upon troubled w a ters .

S a y not so Fr an ces r ather like oil upon a stormy s e a is

,

the sweet counsel of a friend ; and truly none but a friend

would h a v e turned fro m the c rowded and j oyous c ourt to so
j ourn in this lonely isle and above all in the house of , ,

m our ning .

I do n ot den y to you C onstance that I love the g a iety , , ,

the po m p and the ho m age of our courts that bo th H ampton

,

and W hiteh all have many ch a rms for me but there are some
things — some things I love far more I loved your m other ”
.
,

sh e contin u ed in a tone of deeper feeling th a n w a s usual with

,

s o g a y a spirit ; “and I love the friend w h o while she r e ,

proves my follie s can estim a te my virtues : for even my s om

,

bre sister E liz abeth your grave god mother a dmits that I
,
-

h a ve virtues though she denies them to be of a n exalted

,
”
nature .

Were the L a dy C l a ypole to judge of others according to

the sta ndard of her own exceeding excellence Fr a n c es we , ,

should indeed fa ll far below what we are disposed to believe

, ,
’
‘

is our real value ; but like the rose instead of robbing less , ,

worthy flowers of their fragr ance she imp arts to them a por ,
”
tion of her own .

N ow should I like to call that a m ost courtly complimen t,

”
but for m y li fe I c a nnot it is so true .

’
You pronoun c e a se vere satire on your father s court my ,
”
friend and one th a t I hope it merits no t .

Merits Perh aps not for though the youngest a nd least ,

’
r a tion al of my fa ther s children I c an perceive there a re some ,

about him who hit upo n tr u th occasionally either by chan ce ,

’
o r in t ention There s that rugged bear Sir Thom a s Pride
.
, ,

whom I have heard say my father knighted with a mopstick

, ,
— h e I do believe sp eaks truth and of a truth follo w s one
, , ,

scriptural virtue being n o respecter of persons A s to General

, .

George Monk my father trusts him — and so — yet have I

,

ob ser v ed a t a ny mention o f C h arle s Stuart s n a me a cunning

,
’

t winkling of th e eye that may yet ki ndle into loy al ty —I .

would a s soon believe in his honesty a s in his lady s gentleness ’

.

Did you he ar by the way w hat Jerry my poor disgr a ced

, ,
'

be au Jerry W hite s a id of her ? W h y th a t if her husb a nd

, , ,

could raise and command a regimen t endowed with his wife s ’

 TH E B U CC A N EE R . 3 9
spiri t he might storm th e stronghold of sin and make S a ta n
, ,

a state prisoner The n our Irish L ord C hancellor

. we call
him the true Steele a nd indeed any one who ventures to tell
, ,

m y father he errs deserves credit Yes Sir W il liam Steele

, .
,

m ay cert ainly be call ed a truth teller N ot so ou r last court -

.

novelty Gr ifl e th Williams of C arnarvon E s q w h o though he

‘

.
, , ,

a ffects to despise all m odern titles and boasts of his blood ties ,
-

with the Princes of Wales Kings of France A rragon C astile , , , ,

and Man with the sovereigns of E ngl e fi el d an d Proven ce to

,

boot yet moves every secret engine he can find to gain a paltry
,

baronetcy E ve n you, dear C onstance wo ul d have s m iled to ,

see the grave and courtly salutations that passed between h im

and the E arl of Warwick —the haughty E arl who refused to ,

sit in the same house W ith Pride and H ewson — a circum

‘

stance by the way , that caused J erry Wh i te to s ay he had

, ,
‘

’
too much P r ide to attend to the mending o f his s ou l The .

j est i s lost u nless y ou remembe r that H ewson had been a

cobbler A s to J ohn Milton
.

” “
Touch him n ot interrupted C onstance ; let n ot your
,

thoughtless mirth light upon J ohn Milton there is that about

the poet whi ch made me feel the very first time I saw him
, ,

that
Som eth i n g h o l y l od ges in t h at breast .
’

I remember the day well now m ore tha n three year s ago, ,

while staying at H ampton C ourt, ( whither your gracious

m other had commanded me ) and reading to the Lady C lay ,

pole ne a r the sm all window of her dressing room , which

,
-

opened into the conservatory on e sultry July evening when , ,

the l a st rays o f the golden sun disturbed the sober and

to me m ore touching beau ty o f the silver night — a t last I
could n o longer se e and closed the volume ; you r sister in
.
, ,

sweet and gentle voi ce stayed me to repeat some passages

,
’
from the Masque of C omus H ow accurately I can call to .

mind her every tone as it mingled with the perfume of the

,

m yrtle a n d or a nge trees i m r e gn atin g th e air at once with har

p ,

m ony and fragrance .

So de ar to H eav en is s ai n tl y c h as t i t y ,
T h a t w he n a so u l is fo u n d s i n c e r e l y s o
, ,
A th ou sa n d l i v e n e d a n ge l s l a c k e y h e r ,

D r i v m g far o ff e a c h t h m g o f s in a n d g u l t ;
“
1
A n d 1n c l e ar d r e a m an d sol e m n v i s i o n
T e l l h e r o f th i n gs th a t n o g ro ss ear ca n h e ar ,

D 4
 0 TH E B U CC A N E E R a

ve rse w i th h ea v enl y h abi ta n t s

Till oft c on
B eg in to c ast a be am on th e o u tw r d s h ape '

a ,

T h e u n po ll u ted te m p l e o f th e m m d ,

A n d t r n s 1t b y d e g ree s to th e s ou l s es se n c e
’
u ,

Ti ll a ll b e m a d e i mmo r tal

I was so absorbed by the be auty of the poetry, and the e x q u i

site gra ce and feeling with which it was repe a ted th a t my eyes ,

w ere riveted on y our sister ; n or could I withdraw t hem , even

when she ceased to spe ak Thus abstra c ted, I w as perfectly .

unconscious that a gentleman w as standing close to the gr eat

or ange tree so that the r ays of the full moon rested o n h is
-
,

uncovered hea d h is h air was parted in the cen tr e and fell on ,

his shoulders at either side a nd his deportm ent w a s of min ,

gled dign ity a nd sweetness J ohn Milton exclaimed Lady

.

C l aypole rising ; I knew not she con tinued that you had ’

, , ,
’
been so ne a r us The temptation w as great indeed
.
, ,

m a d a m : a poet never feels th a t he h as true fame until lip s ,

’
s u c h as yours give utterance to his lines H e bowed low an d .
,
’
I thought coldl y over Lady Cl aypole s extended hand She
,
.

walked into the conserv a tory a nd c alled on me to follow H ow ,

.

m y he a rt throbbed ! h o w I trem bled ! I felt in the al m ost

divine presen ce o f one whose genius I h ad worshipped with a
devotion which enthusi a stic a s i t was I am not even n ow
,
‘

ashamed of I longed to fall at his feet an d implore his

.
,

ble s sing ; to kiss the hem of his garment ; an d thought in ,

m y foolishne s s that inspir a tion might be comm u nicated by hi s

,

tou ch I pushed ba ck my hair s o that I might not lose a

.
,

word he uttered or the lea st look he g a ve

,
H is sight w as so .

’
impaired he s aid th a t the light of d a y occ a sioned him much
, ,
‘

pain a nd of late he h ad been s o useless to his H ighness that ,

he feared to intrude too often into h is pre sence Lady C lay .

’

pole made so m e rem a rk which in truth I little h eeded for I

, ,

longed ag a in to he a r the poet spe ak nor did I rem a in ungra

tifi e d. I n answer to some observation he stated he w a s well , ,

aw are th a t m u ch of what he had writte n would not meet with

the indulgen ce she had graciously be s towed upon his verse ;
for though they both valued freedom they widely di ffered a s
, ,
’
to the mode of its attainment To this the L a dy C l aypole .

m a de no reply a nd presently we had issued from the con s er

vator
y a nd stood for a fe w moments on the terr a ce
, H ow .

be autiful ! s ai d your si s ter as sh e raised her eyes to the ,

glorious heavens s parkling with countl es s sta rs who s e bril

, ,
l ian cy was showered on the now sleeping earth Y e s beau .
,
 T H E B U CCAN EE R . 41

ti ful repeated M ilton and his voice s o musical yet melan , ,

s

c h ol y thrilled to m y inmost soul :

,
B eautiful he said ag a in ,

as if the word was pleasant in his e a rs and yet the time is

coming fast when 1 shall behold that beauty n o m ore when
I sh a ll be m ore humbled than the poor insects u pon which I
m a y now heedlessly tread they creep but see I shall be a ,

thing of darkn es s in the midst of light irrevocably dark

total eclipse without the hope of d a y Your pardon ,
’
L a dy but is it not strange that life s chiefest bles sing should ,

be en throned in such a tender ball when feeling is di ffused all ,

’
over us The M a ker must be the best j udge replied your ,
’ ’
sister . T is true he said and the same hand that wounds
,
‘

can heal I will n ot sorrow if I can refrain from grief though

.
, ,

i t is h a rd to bear yet often when I look upon my daughters , ,

’
I think how sad twill be when I n o more can tr a ce thei r
change of form a nd feature A n d this deep affli ction comes .

u pon me in my manhood s prime — life in captivity — all ’

around m e grows darker e a ch fa ir day I live A bunch .

of violets was given m e this morning their fragan ce w as

delicious yet I co u ld n ot discern the little yellow germ that I
,

knew d w elt withi n their dark blue petals an d I put them from ,
’
me because I could not see as well as smell twas foolish ,
’
but twas n a tur al The moon at this very m oment looks so
.

sal low pale a nd y ou he bowed to us as he spoke a nd ,

’

you even y ou ladies appear both dim an d cold

, , I thought ,

he l aid more emphasis on the word c old than 011 the other
words perhaps in allusion to th e political di fferences between
,

Lady C laypole a n d hi m s elf : your sister thought s o too .

You do us wrong sh e observed warmly ’

never never cold
, ,
”
to J ohn Milton ! never indeed never ! T his sad a ffliction if , ,

it should conti n ue ( which the A lmighty i n hi s mercy forbid !

,

will create for you new worlds ; when all its tre a sures are de
stroyed you wi ll but close your eyes on earth that you may
,

look through heaven Wh a t would I not have given for such .

’

a rewarding s mile as pl a yed upon without disturbing his fe a

t ures Your sister surpri s ed into an enthusi a sm that w as n o t
,

in keeping with her usu a lly subdued deportment turned asi de , ,

and taking m e by the h an d pre s ented me to him s a ying , , ,

H ere sir is a little girl who though sh e h as only num bered

, , , ,

sixteen summer s has learned to value Milton ,

Wh a t do you
think I said F rances ? N othing : , that might have passed -
 42 TH E B U CCA N E E m

—but what do you think I did ? I fell on my kn ees a nd ,

k issed his h a nd ! I am almost a shamed to re peat such fro

w ar dn e s s t hough done i n all the purity of truth
,
not that
I think he was di spleased .

Displea sed in terrupted the Lady Fr an ces w h o had kept ,

“
silence marvellously long ; oh ! no it is n ot in m an to be ,

di spleased with the devotedness the love of woman 1 ,

”
I pri thee peace interrupted C onstan ce i n her t u rn for
, ,

th e word
’
love had called the flush into her p ale ch eek ;
‘

”
thou art ever placing ea rth on a level with heaven .

A nd thou m y saintly friend wouldst bring he a ven down

, ,

to earth I remember my sister C laypole tre a ting o f this be

.

fore saying th a t Milton laid his fingers o u thy forehead and

, ,

th a t thou di dst clip off the particular ringlet pressed by them ,

”
an d enshrine it i n a j ewelled cross .

I c onfes s
To the folly of despoiling thy tresses
Dearest Frances you a re cruel in your gaiety H ow I
, .

watched his retreating footsteps as he passed u nder the ar c h

way a fter bidding us good night ! H is gait w a s measured
, ,

but though his sight was so i m paired I observed that his head
, ,

w a s thrown upward and that he walked as on e havi ng n o

,

Well give me Milton in the morn but the g a y Lovelace

, ,

when the twilight sh ades come down I know a fair gentle . .

man who sings his ball a d s most sweetly You too had you .
, ,

heard him, would h ave li stened a second tune

it
Tr u e , a n e w m s ress n o w I c h ase ,
ld t
T h e fi rs foe 1n th e fi e ,
A n d W i th a t o ge r f i th e m br ac e s r n a
A s wo d a h o rse 8 s h 1e l d
r . .

Y e t th i s i n c ons tanc y is su c h
A s yo t s h ll ad o e u, oo , a r
c o u l d n o t l o v th ee d e o
p uch e , a r, s
L o v e d I n o t h on ur m or e
,
o

B ut I forget the theme is a forbidden one ; and I see Con

, ,

stance you do not like my p oet and I have a m ind no t to ad

, ,

mire yours ! A h ! poor Lovelace ! h e might have been my

”
laure a te .

I though t the Lady Frances si ghed no longer for a thorn y

crown .

I may surely love the poetry of a C aval ier without wi s h

m g to be the bride of Prin ce C harlie My father s fiat has .
’
44 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

M
fearfully yet so strongly painted upon the countenance of
,

C onsta n c e was to her ut terly incomprehensible H a d it been

’

.
,

the overboil ing o f pas sion the su ppres se d but determined rage
, ,

o r the m urm uring of dis c on ten t Fr a nce s could h a ve under ,

stood it because it w ould h a ve resembled w hat she had full

,

oft en w i t n e ssed but she h a d ne v er before beheld the struggles

o f a firm and elev a te d mind a gainst a cruel and oppres s ive de s

tiny Frances C rom w ell looked upon her friend for some
.

moment s uncertain what course to pursue She k n elt down

,
.

and took her hands w i thin her own they were cold as death ,

rigid as marble She bent over her ! .

C onstance ! C onstance l spe ak e rciful Providen ce

sh e ex c l ai m ed a loud
“ W h a t c a n I do ? wh a t sh all I do ?
,

Ba rbara Alas alas sh e he a rs m e not Dear C on s tan ce

”
Thi s is worse than faintne s s she c ontinued as exertions to , ,

restore her proved ine ffectual ; for C onstanti a exhausted by ,

her e fforts to appe a r tr an q uil a nd to chime in with th e temper ,

’

of her guest u ntil tortured a t the very mention of B u rrell s

,

name rem a ined sti ll insen s ible

, .

I mu s t leave her a nd s eek assistance from within r e ,

p e d Frances rapi dl y un clasping her jewelled m a ntle throw

eat , ,

ing it over her friend and flying r a ther th a n runni n g a long

, , ,

the shaven p a th they h a d so recently p a ced in gentle co n vers e .

N o very long time el apsed before the lady returned followed ,

by B a rb ara Iverk a nd a nother fa ithful a ttend a nt .

”
Th ank God ! excl aimed Fr a nces she must be reco ,
”
vered for her position is changed
, A nd so it w a s the veil .

o f bl a ck had entirely fallen o ff and her un confined hai r '

repo s ed in rich sh a dowy m as s es on h e r bosom a nd shoulder s

on e ar m rested on her knee while the extended hand supported ,

her he a d the other w a s Open on her lap and upon its sm all ,

and transparent p alm l a y a large locket of pecul i a r workm a n

s hip set r ou n d 2w ith brilli a n ts On this her eyes were fixed ;
, .

and when her bower m aid Ba rb a r a ende a voured to rouse her

-

, ,
’

mistre s s s a ttention the first symptom of returning c on s c ious

,

ne s s she gave was to hide the j ewel within her bo s om She

, .

appeared like on e w aking from a long dre a m Fr a n c es s poke .

to her in a tone of gentle cheerfulness ,

C ome de a re s t it is cold ; we wi ll in you must be better

, ,

pres ently O ne moment let me bind up thi s h a ir it keeps

.

back the cloak from covering your throat, and you shiver like
 TU E B U CCAN EE R .

an aspen . F rances was ga th e rm g the large tresses eagerly i n

her h a nd whe n she stopped and letting the m suddenly fall ,
, ,

excl a imed ,
’
What s here to do ! O ne of the finest of your l a dy s ’

braids severed more than mid way and by no scissors trul y -

, ,
’
ab solutely butchered Do bu t look B arbara I am s ure tw a s ,

n ot so this morning
The young tire woman lifted up her hands in horr or an d
-

amazement ; for she very properly regarded her mi s tress s ’

be autiful hair as under her o w n especial control and w a s about ,

to m ake some inquiry touch ing the m y sterious in cident when ,

C onstan ce drew the cardin al completely over her head and , ,

’
leaning her arm on B arbara s shoulder proceeded tow a rds the ,

house .

N otwithstanding the great anxiety o f Lady Frances 0 11 the

’

score of her friend s indisposition and it is but j usti c e to ad m it ,

she loved her with all the constancy of which her volatile :

nature w a s capable her a ffection was ne a r ly overpowered by

,

her curiosity curio s ity to discover how C o n sta nce obtained

the locket and how she lost her most admired tress Yet to
,
.
,

neither of these perplexities had sh e the slightest clue I nti .

mate a s they had been from c hildhood ; superior as was her

’
rank t o that of Sir R obert C ecil s d a ughter yet was there n o .

on e of her acquaint a nce with who m she woul d n ot sooner have

t aken a liberty than with C onsta nce C ecil In the cours e of .

the day she tried every little art th at female ingenuity could
devise short of saying
,
H ow came you by that locket ? to
,

induce her to talk o n the subj ect — and in vain C onsta nce .

m ade n o assertion — o ffered n o expl a nation ; but when Fr a nces ,

appe a red to come t oo ne a r the subject sh e silen c ed all fa rther ,

approach to confidenti al communic a tion simply by r a i s ing her ,

clear calm an d holy eye letting i t fall upon t he anim a ted

, , , ,

restless fa ce of her comp anion an d then shading its glory by ,

the long silken lashes th a t almost re s ted on the exquisitely

m oulded cheek I t was this peculi ar look th a t made her lively
.

”
friend usu all y design ate her the awful be a uty .

Still curiosity that most bus y a n d feminine Spri te tortured

, ,

the Lady Fran ces wi th extr a ordin a ry persever a nce ; an d in ,

the end it suddenly occurred to her th at Ba rb ar a migh t know

,

o r conjecture something a bo ut the matter : accordingly a t night , ,

she dismi s sed her own wom en under some pretext or other to , ,
 46 T H E B U CC A N EE R .

their chambers an d summoned the pretty P u rita n to w a it at

,

her toilet Poor B arb ara w a s as ne a t and as do c ile a m aid as

.

any c ountry gentlewoman co u ld de s ire but as she had ne ver ,

accomp anied her ladies to court to whi ch be c au se of Lady , ,

C ecil s illness they h ad been r a re visiters of late she felt

’

, ,

somewhat nervous on being called into a ctive duty by so great

a personage as the Lady Frances C romwell With trembling .

h a nds sh e unlaced the velvet bodi ce released the tiny feet fro m ,

their thr aldom set loose the di a mon d cla sps o f the sparkl ing
,

stomacher and after arraying the lady in a wrapping robe o f

,

fringed linen with point lace colla r commenced the dise n

,
-

tangling of her raven hair : this was a t a sk that required skill

’

and patience N ature had been so bountiful to her own fair

.

mistress that her h air needed no a rt to increase either its

,

quality or quantity the simple B arbara consequen tly stood

aghast when a v a st portion o f the fa bri c fell to the ground th e
moment a littl e dark b a nd h a d been se par a ted from the pretty
head of the more courtly maide n Fr a n ces laughed as the .

’
girl s a stoni s hed features were reflected in the polished mirror
before which she sat : so evident w a s her dism a y as s h e held ,

it forth exclaiming; I did not pull it o ff my l a dy

, ,

Ah wicked wench so you would rob my head as well as

,

your l a dy s N ow Barbar a tell me truly what didst do with

’
.
, , ,

th a t same lock I miss ed this morning ?

”
I my lady ?
,

Yes you N o on e else I suppose dresses your l ady s

,
.
, ,
’

That may be but I a ssure your ladyship I never cut off

that curl it is quite wonderful
So it is as you s ay like a very sensible girl quite won
, , ,

der fu l but B arbar a do you think y ou could find ou t w h o

, ,

did cut it off

N ot unless m y l a dy would tell me .

B ut is t here no w a y
O nly by asking my lady an d that I could not presume ,
”
to do .

N or I either thought Lady Frances , but barbara , ,

you might think or or see perh aps

Please you m y l ady I do think a great deal and the
, , ,

Rev Mr Flee tw ord said to me onl y this morning that I grew

. .
,
 T H E B U CC AN EE R . 47 .

in grace as much as in sta ture A nd as to seeing please your .

, ,

ladyship
Pshaw child i t is n ot that I mean
,
C ould y o u n o t dis .

cover ? B esides th e locket did you ever see that locket in

’
your lady s possession till thi s m orning ?
”
N o madam
, .

”
P erhaps continued Frances blushing and stammering at
, ,

her curiosity it might be well to ascertain something about

,
” ’
both m ysteries for your lady s good ,
.

I am sure m y lady I can t tell ; but m y mistress is very

, ,

wise and if she w ished me to know an y thing of such like

, ,

would direct m e herself Shall I put any of this ambergris in .

your ladyship s hair or do you better like the musk rose ?

’

,
-

H ow perplexing to the cunning is straightforward simplicity

”
N ow ,
thought Lady Frances one of the co u rt w a iting ,

maids would have comprehended my meaning in a m omen t ;

and this wench with ten times their zeal and real sense think s
, ,
’
i t do wnrigh t wicked to pry into her l a dy s secrets I wonder .

my women have not taught her the court fashions You may .

go to bed B arbara ; light m y night lamp and give me a book

, ,
”
I do not feel at all sleepy .

B arbara with great n a i veté presented to Lady Fran ces a

'

, ,

sma ll B ible that lay on the dressing table something r e -

’
sembling a smile passed over th e l a dy s face as she took the
volume but she only observed
,
Give me also that b ook with ,
’
the golden clasps I woul d fain peruse my cousin Waller s
last hymn an utterly useless thi n g is that which is
.

”
called simplicity ! she said half aloud as Ba rbara close d the , ,

M
door . A nd yet I woul d sooner trust m y life in the hands
o f that country damsel than with th e fine ones w h o ,
though , ,

ar r ayed i n plain gowns fl atter corrupt fan cies at Wh i tehall or

,

H ampton !

C HA PTE R V .

B y h ol y ar y ! B u tts t h e re s k n ave r y
,
’
. SE A K SPE A R E .

H A V I N G consigned the Lady Fran ces C romwell her per to

’
fumed couch and the companionship of Waller s sweet an d
,

so norous strains, we leave her to determine whether the high

48 T H E B U CC A N EE R .

’
and mighty Lady Dorothe a Sidney the Poet s Sac ch aris sa or , ,

the gentle L ady Sophia Murr a y the be a uteous A moret of his ,

i dol at ry were most worthy the a ffectio n he so gene rously

,

besto w ed on both Waller the most specious fl atte r er of

.
,

flattering c ourts th e early worshipper o f C h a rles the Firs t

the pusill animous betr a yer of his friends the adulator of
C romwell the wit an d the j ester of the second C harles
the devotional whi n er of the bigot Ja m es — h ad n ot how ,

ever su fficient power to keep the l a dy from her slumbers

,

lo n g She w as soon in the refr es hing sleep known only to the

. ,

light hearted
- .

’
C on s ta n ce C ecil w as more wakeful A fter B arbara s dis .

mi s s al fro m the presence of L a dy Franc es she crept wi th slow ,

and s te al t hy space to the ch amber o f her dear mistress and ,

softly t urning the bolt di spl aced the curtains of silver d amask
,

with so light a touch th a t her entran ce was unnoticed The

, .

girl perceived at on c e that her lad y w a s n ot a sleep She h a d .

evidently been reading for the holy volume was still O pen and
, ,

o n e h a nd rested amid its le a ve s : but even B arbar a was as to

n ish e d when she saw that her attention was s pell bo u n d to the c

my s teriou s locket she held in the other h an d The ex cellent .

servant with th a t true honesty of mind which n o education

,

c an te a ch knowing that h er la dy had not he a rd her en ter and

, ,

feeling r a ther than reasoning u pon th e indelicacy of prying

, ,
‘

into wh a t she believed was secret purpo sely let fall a chali c e , ,

which e ffectually roused C onstan ce who placing the trinket , ,

u nder the pillow c alled upon her a ttendan t for her night drink
, ,

and then pointed out a p a r t icular p s alm she wi shed h er to read

a loud I t w as a holy and a beauti ful sight in that quiet
.

c hamber : the young a nd high born maiden h er head resting ,

o n pillows of the finest cambric her arms crossed meekly o n

her boso m whose gentle bre a thi n gs moved without disturbing
, ,

the folds of her night tire her eyes elevated ; her lips suf
-

fi c ie n tly apart to show the small pearly teeth gli ttering in , ,

white n ess within their coral nest then as promises o f hope ,

a nd h a ppiness beyon d the control of mortality found voi ce ,

’
from Ba rbara s m ou th a tear would ste a l down her cheek u n
, ,

h idden a n d unnoticed but n ot unregistered by that G od w h o

,

kno w s our grie fs and whose balm is ever for the heavy at
,

heart .

B arb a ra s at on a wri t ing stool by the bed sid e supporting -

,
 TH E B UOCA N E E R . 49

the B ible on her knees while the beams of a golden lamp

, ,

placed o n a lofty tripod near the foot of the be d fell directly ,

o n the book the light however was n ot su fficiently powerfu l

, ,

to illume the farther m ore parts of the chamber whose walls ,

were hung with figured tapestry the gloom of which con ,

tr a s te d strongly with the bright blue an d silver that canopie d

’
C onstantia s bed .

T he next chamber was occupied by h e r father : it was lofty ,

but not spacious The inside o f the door was guarded by man y
.

bolts and at the moment his daughter was seeking commune

with and counsel from the A lm ighty he was employed in
, , ,

ex a mining an d securing them with evident anxiety First .

on e a nd then another was pushed to its rest

, , then he turned
the key in the lock — on ce twice H a ving shaken or rather ,
.
,

at tempted to shake the massive door to determine if it were

, ,

really se cure Sir R obert C ecil pro ceeded to inspect the windo w
,

fastenings and being con v in ced they were in the ir places h e ,

tur n ed to the table where the light burn t brightly examined a ,

bra ce of pistols which he placed under his pillow and the n

, ,

took down a huge heavy sword from a shelf where i t lay c on

ce al e d pulled it forth fro m its scabbard an d applied his thum b
, ,

along the edge to be sa tisfied o f its sh arpness H aving l a id

,
.

the weapon by his bed side he commen ced unaided to n u-

, , ,

dress This did n ot occupy him long though he stopped c c

.
,

cas ion all y his eye glancing round the apartment his ear bent
, , ,

a s if some unhallowed n oise had struck upon it suddenly As .

he m oved to his lonely couch he passed be fore an immense ,

glass in a heavy oaken fra m e his ow n reflection met his eye ;

,

he s tar ted as if a S pectre had crossed his path — his chee k

blanched his knees smote on e against the other his respiration
was impeded A t last wavin g his hand as if to dispel th e
.
, ,

phanto m his im agination had conj ured up he sprang into the ,

be d and buried his head und e r its pillows

, .

At the end o f the corridor which led to the sleeping cham -

bers was the apartment appropriated to B urrell of B urrell

, ,

w henever he was a guest at C ecil P l a ce his visits however , ,

were n o t s o frequent o r o f such long dur a tion as might hav e

, ,

been expected in the lover of L a dy C onstance C ecil H e was .

fast a pproaching the meridi an of life and his y outh had been ,

spent chiefly at court a t both courts in fact for he h ad , ,

been a partisa n of the unhappy C harles, an d afterwards, at

E
50 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

heart as c om plete a regi cide as any w h o took a m ore active

,

part in th e terrible tr ans a c tions of the ti m es H e j oi ne d th e .

army of the P a rliament nevertheles s but for a sho r t time

, , ,

ple a ding as a n excuse the necessi t y there w a s for remaining

, ,

a m ong s t h is o w n ten an ts a nd thr alls to kee p them in s u bj e c tion .

Sir W illmott B urrell m a y well be de sign a ted a m a n of tw o

charac ters — one for public on e for pri v ate life H is manners
, .

to h is superior s a nd gener a lly to his eq u als were bl a nd a n d

, ,

insinuating to h is inferior s he w as overbearing h aughty a nd , ,

severe except whe n he had so m e parti cul a r point to c arry and

, ,

then he could cringe to a nd fawn upon th e vile s t H e had a .

’
pec uli a r method of en tering i n to men s he a rts a nd wor m ing ,

fro m e a ch w h ate ve r be s t suited h is purpo se but the prin ciple

upon which he inv a ri a bly a cted w a s to extra ct the honey from , ,

the rose an d then s catter its lea v e s to the whirl w i n d an d th e

,

bl a st De v oid of every thing like moral or religiou s feeli n g

.
,

he u s ed P u ritanism as a cloak for selfishness a n d s in ; a n d

though he h a d of t en c ur sed his good character when it s tood
in the w a y of h is ple asure s yet it w a s too n eedful to be c a s t
,

o ff as a worthless g a rment A plotting mind united to a

'

graceful exterior is as d a n gerous to the interests o f society as

,

a se c ret mine to a be s ie ge d city in a smu c h as it is im po s sible to

,

cal cu l a te u pon the evils that m a y suddenly a rise ei t her from

the one or the other .

Sir W illmott B urrell of B urrell h ad managed to m ake

, ,

himself acqu a inted with m a n y o f Sir Robert C ecil s secre ts ’

a n d even those he h a d n ot he a rd be guessed a t with that na , ,

tu r all y ac u te k nowledge which is r a rely in the wro n g He .

w a s too great a sensu ali s t to be i n di fferent to the beauty o f

C ons tance whi ch like all s ensu a lists he considered the sol e
, , ,

excellence of woman but b e a rr aigned the wisdo m of N a ture

i n endowing aught so fa i r with mind or enri chi n g i t with ,

soul ; a nd the dig n ity and puri ty of his destined bride i ns tead ,

o f m a king him proud m a de him angry and a bashed

, .

’
C o n sta n ce heard of B u rrell s grace of B urrell s wit and ,
’

sometimes — though even a mongst ladies it was a di s puted

point of h is be auty without ever being able to disco v er an y
,

thi ng a ppro a ching to these qu alitie s in her fu ture husb a nd ;

and cert inly he ne v er appeared to so little a dv a ntage a s w hen
a

in her pre s en ce : her eye kept him under a subj e c tion th e ,

force of which he was ash a med to acknowledge an d althou h

g
52 T H E B U CCAN E E R .

i ts receding waves like a war horse pawing and foaming whe n

,
-

th e battle din h as sunk into the silen c e th a t succeed s the s hout

of victory as if e ager again to m e et th e shock O f death
,
.

Sudde n ly he stru ck ou t of the usual tr a c k acro s s a portion ,

of w a ste land the utmost verge Of which skirted the top

,

pli n g cli ffs ; and m aking for him self a w a y through tangled
fern long g 1as s a nd pri ckly furze he s trode on in a m ore direct
, , ,

line towards the dwelling O f R obin H a ys pursuing his course , ,

heedle s s O f the pe t ty ann oyan ce s be encoun tered although his ,

feet were fre q uently enta ngled among the stunts and stubs
th a t O pposed h is progress w ith the air o f on e w hose mind was
,

evidently bent o n the fu lfilment Of some h a zardo u s but im

portan t purpo s e I t was so e a rly that not a shepherd had
.

unpenned h is fold n or a girl gone forth to the milking : such

,

c attle as rem a ined a t liberty during the night still slumbe r ed ,

on the sw a rd and the wily fox ro a med with le s s caution than

w as his won t under the knowledge that n o enemy was by
,

to watch his progress .

I m a y re a ch Gul l s N e s t and retu rn thought B urrell , , ,

and th a t before any in the house are astir B ut at the .

,

m oment a tall l a nk fi gure m ovi n g wi th measured pace yet

, , , ,

nevertheless appro a ching rapidly from the very point to wards ,

which his steps were bent arrested his at ten tion ; and as it ,

ca m e nearer a nd ne a rer h e w a s much di s co n certed at the ,

dis c overy th a t no other th a n th e R everend J on a s F le e tw or d ,

from w hom be a nticip a ted a sharp rebuke for h is abs ence from
’
Lady C ecil s funeral was about to c r oss his p a th H e would
, .

have gl a dly hailed t he appro a c h O f B irnam wood so i t coul d ,

have settled down between him an d the reverend J onas bu t

a s n o pla c e of refuge was at hand he bethought himsel f o f the ,

shield of patien c e drew his clo a k as clo s ely a s if he were a bout

,

to encounter a fierce north wind a nd fin al ly returned with mu c h ,

courtesy the salut a ti on Of the pre a cher whose apt and ready ,

e loquen c e h a d Obtai n ed for him the s ignifica nt appellation O f

F l e e tw or d The lo cks O f th e divine according to the ap

.
, .

proved fa shion h ad been cropped closely round his he a d and

, ,

his thin sh a rp vi s age looked O f most vinegar like tinge an d -

ch a rac ter peering a s i t now did from be n eath a steeple

, , ,

c rowned h a t Of for m al cut H e wore a bl a ck cloth c loak and.

doublet his Flemi sh bree ches and hose were O f the s a me

,
’

sombre hue, and h is is qu are toed shoes were surm ounted by -

 T H E B UCCANEE R . 53

large crape roses C ontrary as it woul d seem to the custo m

.
, ,

o f a disci ple o f th e pe a ce loving Saviour he also wore a

-

b a sket ha n dled sword girded round his loin s by a broad strap

-

o f black le a ther I n truth face figu re a nd all in c luded he

.
, , , ,

was as harsh and ill favoured a person as could have been

-

encountered even at that d a y — o n e whose lips would have ,

seemed to taint the blessing to which he might have given

utterance ; and graceless as B urrell undoubtedly was there ,

was excuse for the impatience he felt a t such an unlucky

rencontre .

I t au gu r s well to s e e on e whom the Lord h a th blessed

r

w ith a ll the creature comforts of life thus early arou s ed from

-

sluggis h slo th and abroad doubtles s o n business of the fa ith

, , ,

ful minded
-

B urrell made the best reply he could with ou t confirming or ,

denying the inference drawn from his early rising .

Why t a rried ye from the gatheri n g o f God s people on ’

’
account of the Lady C ecil s fu neral ? I pray that the fle sh po ts
o f E gyp t may n o t lure y e to perdition or fine gold from

O phir or the vain glories o f sinful men pilot ye unto de

, ,

struction
I t was business connected with t he s tate — commands
'

’ ”
from his H ighness s o w n lips that detained m e , .

A ll praise to the Pro v iden ce that has given his chosen

people into such keeping a s the Lord O liver s T ruly may he ’

be likened to the ch a riots a n d horsemen of Israel — to the

blessed Zerubbabel who restored the true worship which the
, ,

J ews in their bli n dness had cast from them ; to J oshua ,

who m the Lord appointed as a scourge to the wicked Ca

n aan i tes to Mose s who gave both spiritual help an d carnal
,

food to those that needed ; to Gideon to E lij ah to David

to H ezekiah ; to the m o s t wise Solomon ; to a ll the holy of
the e a rth ! and exhausted by the r a pidity wi th which h e
,

h a d uttered the n a mes of the kings and prophets o f old the ,

worthy J onas m ade a full stop ; n ot with any intention of

concluding his h a rangue but to t ake breath for its continua
,

tion A s time however was exceedingly precious to B urrell

.
, , ,

h e endeavoured to give such a turn to the con versation as ,

would en able h im to escape from the pre a cher s comp a nion ’

ship and therefore expressed a very deep regret that he had

not been e difie d by the discourse which Mr Fl ee tw or d so ably .

E 3
54 T H E B UCCAN EE R .

delivered and inquired when a nd where it was likely h e would

,

next gi ve his holy les s on s so that he might be comforted by

,

the oil and honey th a t flowed from his lips .

"
Thou s aye s t truly replied the energetic pre a cher
,

truly sayest t hou : oil and honey for the fa ithful the holy , ,

the j u t in our New J eru s alem ! B u t wh a t what for the

s
, ,

u n be l ie verS P — what for the wise in their o w n con c ei t ?

what for the dwellers in Kedar ? E ven this — to them my ,

words signify bitterness a s c ourge a pestilen ce an u prooting

, , , ,

a n d a scatteri n g by the four w inds of heaven on them sh a ll

the seventh phial be poured ou t ; for verily th e Lord is we ary
of showi n g m er c y to the backsliders from the congrega tion :

they sh all all peri sh their limbs sh al l be broken asunder

yea I will smite the u ncircumcised Philistine s
,
yea I will ,

sm i te
E ven as did Sampson of old interrupted B u rrell ,

even a s S ampson of ol d smote them with the j awbone of

”
an ass .

E ven so replied J onas w h o with al l h is bitterness

, , , ,

was n othing worse than a si m ple minded enthusia s t and never -

im a gined th a t Sir W ill m ott s words could convey au ght than

’

approb ation of his ze al and the right spirit that dwelt withi n
,

him even s o ; and it rej oice t h me to find thee apt and

pro m pt in scriptur al p a ssage s Verily I am gl a d of thy com.
,

p any ; a nd as thou r egr e tte s t th a t the world s business pre ’

vented th y attend a n ce on th e l amented dead I care n ot if I ,

bestow this my present lei sure unto thy e difi catio n a nd repe a t , ,

na
y even enl a rge upon th e words I then de livered ; which
, ,

exer cise will be finished before m id day it is right th a t we -

”
l abour unce a singl y in the vineyard So s aying he drew .

'
from his bosom a cla s ped B ible and to B urrell s dism ay , , ,

actu ally g a ve out the text before he could resolve upon an y

,

pla n to rid himself o f the in t ru der whom he he artily wished ,

at Tophet if not farther

, .

My worthy friend I wou ld postpone the in s tru ction you

,

would give until a m ore convenient se a son ; I h a ve urgent

”
busi n es s to a ttend and mu s t h asten its perform a n ce
, .

Then will I gird up m y loins a nd a cco mp any thee unto ,

the very thre shold o f th e house where th ou wouldst enter ;

and as we w alk I can s till convey the precious ointment of
,
”
grace unto thy soul .
 T H E B U CC A N EE R . 55

T he merciless ol d scoun drel mu ttered B urrell be twee n

his teeth then a dding aloud N ot s o ; your words are too ,

costly to be given unto th e wi n ds ; a nd I cannot t a rry s o as

to drink in the full dr a ught of satisfaction let be I pr a y you , ,

an d come down to C ecil Place to night or on the m orro w -

, ,
”
a nd then m a ny can wor ship with thee .

F lee tw or d p a u s ed still holding the volume in his h a n d

,
”
B esides ,
continued B urrell wh a t I have to a ccomplish ,
’ ”
is the Lor d s work .

The Lord s work — the L ord s work ! repe a ted Fleet;

’ ’

word , then go forth ; why didst thou n o t confir m m e

that before an d I would ha v e hastened n ot ret a rded thee ,

for o f a verity my outward m a n warreth with t he inw ard ,

, ,

and the s e supporters o f the fle sh pointing with h is fore ,

finger to the thi n and meagre limb s that scarcely merited the
”
compliment grow weary in well doing
,
.

B urrell needed not a se c on d hint to hasten but proceeded ,

'

on his way after receiving Fle e tw or d s benedictio n with all

,

due humility .

The pre a cher remained some time on the spot an d his ,

thin upright figu re seen from a distance its outline s o

, ,

strongly marked again s t the cold grey m orning sk y had a ,

singular e ffect B urrell had pl unged into a dell or h ollow so

.
,

that he was n o longer v isible .

The bl eak a nd uncl othed landscape from whi ch th e mist ,

was slowly rollin g ; the few giant trees that dwelling by the ,

s e a side
-

, a n d grown wise by experience ventured n ot to put , !

forth their lea v es till the s un had chased the north wind to his
caves but a bove all th e bo oming of the u ntr an quillised
ocean might have ch illed a heart within the war m
, ,

, est bosom
Y e t,p rop h e t l i k e th at l on e o e s too d
-
,
n ,

W i th d a u n t l e ss w o rd s a n d h gh i
,
”

and looked a s if be deemed the rolling clouds his listeners .

I t was by n o means unusu al for the preachers in those d a ys to

exercise t h eir voices o ver the hills a n d he a ths of their native
land : valui n g as they did power a n d strength far m ore than
, ,

melody and g race they endeavoured to acqui re them by every

,

p ossible means — nor were they without ho pe that ( to use

'

their o w n l a ngu age ) the Al migh ty migh t bless the seed thus
,

sown seeing th a t it was hard to know w h o migh t n ot be withi n

,

hearing o f the precious word

56 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

B urrell soon gained the s ea shore , though he was still a con -

s ide r a bl e dist a nce from Gull s N est C rag O n arriving at a .

point that c omm a nded an unbroken prospect o f the fan spr ead
sea, he sh a ded his eyes wi th his h a nd , and looked long a nd
earnestly along the waste of w a ters A pp a rently th e s crutiny .

w a s unsu c c essful, for he drew a telescope from bene a th his

cloak an d gazed through i t for some minute s directing it ,

toward s several points A t length wi t h an impatien ce o f

.
,

m a nner in which when with his inferiors or alone he fr e

, ,

quen tly in dulged he descended the cli ff a nd pursued his way

,

along the beach A s he drew nea r the little public house his
.
-

,
’
ears were greeted by the sound o f on e o f W aller s m ost
popular songs w a rbled in a voice so sweet so pi pe l ike that
, ,
-

he p a used, and looked round to as c ertain from whence it

proceeded I t cea sed N o t even hi s keen eye could rest on
. .

a u gh t resembling hum a n form H e h allooed but re c eived n o .

,

answer : yet h a d he n o t continued three steps on his w a y

when the song w a s renewed as he thought di re c tly over his , ,

h e a d ; n otwithstanding th e roaring o f the waves he even ,

heard the words disti n ctly

S m all is th e w o rt h
Of be au t y fro m th e l i g h t re t i r ed .

A gain h e shouted, and a loud and th a t d anced

e lfi n l augh ,
w ith the echoe s from crag to crag an d billow to billow was ,

sent for th in reply .

Mer m aid Merman or Demon where h e ye I cried

B urr ell loudl y
, .

E v en her e m aster m i n e
,
an swered Robin H a ys sh aking , ,

his l a rge head over a midw a y and pa r t ly de tached portion of

,

the cli ff .

’ ’
C ome down do you w ill o the w is pl In H eaven s name
, ,
-
- -

wh a t takes you into such bre akneck pl a ces

The s ame m a tter that bring s you here sir repli ed , ,

R obin skipping and cr a wling alternately suiting h is m o t ions

,
,
to the ineq u ality o f the pla c e “ the very same m atter that
bri ngs you here — a woman
o

H ow know you th a t m a ster prate a—pace P A t a ll events

,
-

you h a ve no woman there ”

.

“
Wh y m a ster seeing you were born under th e planet
, ,

Ven us your whole troubl e mu s t be of her m a king ; and as

,
,

to there be i n g no woman up here that matters nothing for , ,

 T H E B UCCAN EE R . 57
’ ’
woman s fancy mounts higher than e er a cli ff in E nglan d ;
and to gain their fa vours we must humour their fa n cy A .

’
certa in damsel that I kno w had a curiosity to see a peewit s ,
’ ”
eggs ; so I though t I d find her some an d here they are , .

Fro m a pouch made o f untanned leather whi ch hung in front ,

l ike an apron he took tw o small eggs of a greenish hue

, ,

spotted with black .

W hat a fool you are exclaimed B urrell to risk your, ,

neck for such trumpery ! I t would be long ere yo u woul d

”
risk it fo r your m as ter .

I have known many hazard theirs for a less cause — and ,

’
to say the truth there s a deal to be learned from the wild s e a
,
”
birds replied R obin as if he had not he a rd the latter portion
, ,

o f the senten ce ; I have a regard for the cr ee tu r s which are ,

like kings in the air Many an hour have I sat up yonder

.
,

listeni n g to th e n oises o f e a rth an d the noises of he a ven ,

while the shrill note o f the gull th e chatter o f the gu illemot , ,
’
the h eron s bitter scream the hoar s e croaki n g of the cormo ,

r a nt have been all around m e : and indeed the birds know

, , ,
’
me well enough There s a pair o f old gulls
.

”
Robin ! I came not here to talk of cormorants an d
gulls ; I want to ask you a question an d I expect an honest ,

an swer .

R obin made th e nearest approach to a h ow he was ever

guilty of .

H onesty R obin is a most valu able q u ality

, , .

So it is sir an d like all valuables ought to fetch a good

, , ,
”
pri ce .

You should be a disciple of Manasseh B en Israel W h y ,

o u h a ve hardly left m y ser vi ce two d a ys an d then I had a

y ,

right to your honesty You are as bad as a J e w . .

If so I have surely a right to extort m oney from a C hris

,

Atruce to your j ests you ill favoured loon : I wan t n o ,

-

man s labo u r for n othing — there are som e broad pieces to stop
’

”
y our mouth ; an d now when saw you H ugh Dalton ? ,
“
N ot since I had the honour to wait upon y ou sir to , ,

London .

“
B ut he is off the co ast .

U n der favour sir that accounts for m y n ot seein g h im

, ,
”
on it .
58 T H E B U CC AN EE R .

Scoundrel ! excl a imed B urrell fiercely n o such mum

m ery wi th me or I ll soon put you upon salt w at er rations
’
-
.
,

D alton I s ay is o ff the c oas t ; I wo u ld spe a k with h im I

, , ,
-

m u s t spe a k with h im and as I have good re a s on to kn o w you

telegr a ph each other m a n age so that he meet me under the
,

ca v ern do you understand y ou spr a t spawn U nder the ,

-

”
cavern to m orrow night a t eleven we c a n serve e a c h other ,
.

B urrell w hen he h a d re traced h is steps about five yards

, ,
“
turn ed round an d a dded You o w e m e amends for your ,

ba se desertion the nigh t before last whi c h I have n o t for ,

”
gotten .

R obin cap in h a nd w a tched his receding foot s teps with an

, ,

underlook an d then atte n ded by his fa ithful C risp re pa i red

, ,

to the cot ta ge w here a canniki n of porridge seasoned by th e

, ,

han d of his mo ther with good spicery and more than half ,

composed of double dub a w a ited his arrival

-

,
.

C H A P T E R VI .

By th etpr ick i n o f my th
u m s, b
So me th i g w r n c ed th
i s wa y c om e s . SHA KSP EA RE .

T H E R E is nothi ng in E ngl a nd so variable as its climate B e .

fore the su c ceeding nigh t the very re membr a n ce of th e storm

,

seemed to have p a ssed a w ay from the placid w a ters whic h n ow ,

slept in t he moonbeams a s tranquilly as a cradled child ; the

’
se a bird s scream no longer whi s tled through the air and the
-

sm all w a ves murmured their gentle music along the s tr a nd .

N ature was hushed a nd happy ; bu t the tr anquillity o f ex tern al

obj ects h a d little e ffect upon the min d of B urrell a s he strode ,

to his try s ting with the bold B u c caneer Yet were there no .

outward tokens that he a pprehe n ded aught from the m eeti n g

for ex cepting the sword u s u a lly borne by persons o f a ll r a nks
, ,

and professions during the dynasty of O liver he w a s c ompletely ,

unarmed The pl a ce appoin ted w a s a ppropri a tely de s c ribed a s

.

”
U nder the C a vern I t w a s known to D alton s m ore inti
.
’

mate associ a tes and the C a v aliers who had from time to time
, ,

obt ained securi t y therein but if its bare ble ak w a lls h a d bee n , ,

gifted with speech they migh t have rehearsed such tales of

,
60 T H E B U CCA N EE R .

aside and the head and shoulders o f a man from beneath sprang
,

i n to its pl a c e s o suddenly as to h a v e a ppe a red the work of m a -

gic H e le a ned a little on one side to permit B urrell to de

. ,

scend ; and the next minute th e cavern seemed as if n o human

step h a d ever disturbed its solitude Six or eigh t rugged s t airs .

brought the knight into a low but S pacious a partment from ,

which there was n o apparent exit except by an arched door

w a y where the commen cem en t o f a spir al a scent was visible
, ,

leading al m ost perpe n dicul a rly into the secret room of the
widow H a ys sm all hostelry in which our acquain tan ce J ack
’

R ou pall and his frien ds had been conce aled and whi ch i t m ay , ,

be here stated served o t her purposes than to a fford co m fort

,

and entertain m ent to th e wayfa rer .

’
I t m a y al s o be ob s erved tha t if a t any time the widow s
, ,

hou s e w a s su s pected of harbouring d a ngerous or outlawed per

sons and c onsequent sear c h was m a de under i ts roof tho s e to
, ,

whom c once a lme n t w a s either convenient o r ne c es s a ry h a d a

ready san ctuary in the c avern bene a th where they might either ,

t a rry un til assured of safety or whe n c e they could easily esc a pe

,

o n bo a rd one of the free traders which rarely p a s sed a week

without a c all of inquiry at some point along the co a st The .

cavern was therefore known to ma n y for m any were they to

, , ,

whom it had been a shelter and a sa fegu a rd N ot so the inner .

te mple ( if we m a y s o apply the ter m ) to which B urrell n ow ,

sought a d m i s s ion through a door with the n a ture of whi c h only

some half a dozen were a cquainted T o them the secret had .

n ecessarily been confided but u n der the most awful o a ths o f

,

secrecy a nd a terrible pledge th a t the life of h im who might

,

veal it w a s to be at all times and in all pl a ces a t the disposal

, , ,

o f any one of those who shared with h i m a k n owledge so

fe arful .

The d oor before which B urrell paused w a s in its way a , , ,

m aster pie c e of a rt : it co n si s ted of a m a s s of cl a y a nd fli n t so ,

s kilfull y put together th a t th e most a c ute s earche r even though

,

he po ss essed the cert ainty of its exi s te nce somewhere mu s t ,

have failed to di s co v er it from among th e n a tur al lining of the

rude but extensive c ave A low and gentle whis tle w as an
.

s w e r e d by a like sign a l a n d the door w a s dra w n gr a dually i n

,

ward s until s u ffic ie n t sp a ce w as a fforded to permit Burrell to

,

p a ss i n to a l a rge sp a ce but less raw and wild than that from

,

which he had j ust entered .

 T H E B U CCAN EE R . 61

I n on e corner o f this singular hall rose a m otley pile of ,

musketry rifles hand g renades basket and cross hilted swords

, ,
-

,
-

steel cuirasses which from their rude an d sull ied condition

, , ,

appeared to h a ve su ffered mu c h and hard service ; bu ff an d

other coloured doublets breast plates shoul der belts w ith gilt ,
-

,
-

and plain buckles ; man acles some rusty others of glittering , ,

brightness : the muzzle of a small bra s s swivel projected from

beneath a number o f flags and emblems of various nati ons ,

rolled together with a degree of amity to which their forme r

owners had long been stran gers O ver these again were heaped .

cloaks caps feathers and trappings enough to form the stock

, , , ,

wardrobe of a theatre N or were there wanting t h u mb screws .

-

and other instrumen ts o f torture often un s paringly exercised ,

upon those who hi d their treasure o r retained secrets they were

desired to betr a y N ear to this miscellaneous assembl a ge rose
.

another heap the base o f which ap peared to consist of some

,

half score of elephants teeth roug h hemp fragments of huge ’

, ,

cable c able—yarn and all manner of cordage roll s of l e w xe r ns

, ,
’

m ar tro n s and leop a rd skins wolf skins

’

,
tawed a n d unta wed ;
-
-

girdles o f silk velvet an d leather ; and o n pegs immediately

, , ,

over hung half a dozen mantles o f miniver, an d some wide

,

robings of the pure spot t ed ermine U pon a huge se a chest .

-

were heaped bales of costly B rabant Ove r yssel s and other rare , ,

l inens mingled wi th F rench an d I talian lawns of the finest

,

texture ; Turkish camlets satin s o f C hina and Luca plain and , ,

wrought and many other expensive and highly —

,
taxed articles .

Delicious odours were di ffused through the chamber from va

rions cases of perfume musk ambergris and the costl y attar , , ,

while along the north wall were ranged di fferent sized casks o f
N antz brandy H ollands and Jamaica rum giving to the
, ,

w h ole the appearan ce o f a vast storehouse A n enorm ous chaf .

ing di sh fi lled with burning charcoal stood near the centre

-

, , ,

and in a deep iron pan was placed a keg o f oil a hole having ,

been driven into its head through which a sort of hempen wick ,

had been introduced ; it flared and blazed like an overgrown

fl am be au t hrowing a warm and glowing light over th e entire
,

o f the wild yet we l l fi ll e d apartment -

.

B ut the most sin gu lar portion o f th e garniture o f this m ost

’
sing u l a r cave consi s ted of a number of O liver s A cts pinned ,

o r n a iled against the walls I f Dalton had been Lord C hie f .

Justice he could not have displayed a more minute attention

,
62 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

to the products of legal sittings than distinguished his private

chamber : here was s e t forth on goodly p a rchme n t f A n A ct ,
‘

for the Security o f his H ighness the Lord Prote c tor h is Person , ,

and C ontinu an ce of the N a tio n in Peace and S a fety ; there ,

A n A ct for Renou n cing a nd Disannul ling the pretended Title

o f C h a rles Stu a rt, & c a t the Par l iame n t begun a t W estminster
.

the 17 t h d a y o f S e ptember anno Do m ini , wi t h the

”
names H enry H ills and John Field Printers to his H igh ,
”
ness the Lord Protector in large let ters at the bottom together
, ,

with divers others chiefly however relating to t he excise

, .

H ugh Dal ton rose from his seat and l a id his en ormous pipe
,

o n a p i le of ebony logs th a t answered the purpose of a t able ,

when Sir W ill m ott B u rrell s aluted h im with m ore civility than
he usu a lly be s to wed upon inferiors : but despite h is outlawry , ,

and the wild course his li fe had taken there was a firm bold , , ,

and manly be a ring about the B uccaneer which might have

o verawed fa r s touter hearts th a n the heart o f the m a s ter o f
B u rrell. H is v est w a s open and his shirt c ollar thro w n back
,
-

s o as to disp l ay to a dvan tage the fine proportio n s of his chest

and n eck H is s tr o n gl y m ar ke d fe a tures had at all ti m es an

.
n

expre s sion of fi e r c e n e ss which w a s b a rely redeemed fro m utter

fero c ity by a pleasa n t smile th a t u s u ally pl ayed around a wel l
formed mouth ; but when anger was uppermost or passion ,

was subdued by conte m pt those who came wi t hin reach o f his

,

influen ce more d readed the rapid m otion or the s a rc a s t ic curl

,
’

o f h is lip th a n the terrible flashing of eyes th a t were proverbial

, ,

even a m ong the reckles s and de s perate men of who m he was

th e chief in n a m e in courage a n d in skill
, , ,
H is forehe a d was .

unusually broad : thick a nd b u shy brows overhung the long

lashes of his deeply set eyes around which there w as a dark
-

line a pparently less the e ffe c t of n a t u re th a n of clim a te The

, .

swarthy hue of h is counten a nce w a s relieved by a red t inge on

either cheek ; but a second gl a nce might h a v e served to c on

vin c e the g a zer th a t i t w as t he consequen c e of un checked dis
s ipa tion not a token of ruddy health
, Indeed not w ith s t anding
.
,

the fine and manly ch a racter of his form and coun tenance both ,

conveyed a n ide a of a mind ill a t ease of a conscien c e s mitte n ,

by the past a nd apprehensi v e o f the fu ture yet seeking con ,

solatio n in the k n owledge of good tha t h a d been e ffe cted a nd ,

o f more that rem ai n ed to be done Ye a rs o f c rime h a d not

.

altogether obl i terated a n a tur al kindness of heart he appeared

 T H E B U CC A N EE R . 63

as on e who had o utraged society and its custo m s in a thousand

forms yet who knew there was that within him by which he
,

w a s entitled to ask and expect a shel t er within her sanctuary ;

an d when a deep flush w ould pass over hi s features an d his ,

blood grow c hill at th e recollection of atro c ities at which the

su fferers in a score o f l a nds had shuddered as they talked he ,

endeavoured to still the voice that repro a ched him by placing ,

to the credit of his fearful accoun t some matters to which we

m ay hereafter m ore distinctly refer .

I t w a s before such a m an th at B urrell of B urrell n ow stood ,

and by whom he w a s addressed .

My pi ping bird good s ir told me you wanted me ; and

-
, ,

thou gh somewh a t inconvenien t a t this present time here I am , .

’ ’
Won t y ou sit ? This is n o l a dy s lounging roo m ; yet we c a n -

”
find se a ts a nd costly ones too he added pushing a chest o f
, , ,

spices towards his visi tor .

Then you were not at sea C aptain ? observed B urrell

, , ,

seating himself and uncl a s ping his clo a k

, .

”
I did not s ay so replied the o ther bringi ng his bushy
, ,

brows m ore c losely over his eyes and glancing suspiciously ,

upo n the que s tioner .

”
O h n o ; I only imagined i t
, .

W ell s ir I w as not a t se a and I care not who knows i t

, , , .

B ut my worthy friend we have been acquainted too lon g

, ,
’
for you to fear m y peaching aught con cerning you o r your
”
doings .

”
A nd did I talk of fear P inqu ired the B uccaneer with a ,

droll and yet bitter expression W ell if I did I only follow .

, , ,

as R obin would say the ex a mple of m y betters by talking , ,

’ ’
a bout wh a t I don t understand .

V a stly good and true true as the

, .

Needle to the pole the finest simile in n a ture Sir Will , ,

mott B urrell : you we r e fishing for a holy one I saw which , ,

’ ’
is what these walls don t often he a r fo r we ve n o laggers nor ,
”
w ar pe s among us .

’
You ve enlarged this room and improved it much C ap , ,
”
tain s in ce I l a st s a w it
, .

H umph ! ay that was I remember, when his H igh

, ,

H ush interrupted B urre ll changing colour and look ing , ,

64 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

round the room cautiously ; y ou must be very careful Dalton , ,

how you say a ny thing about

’
H a ! h a ! h a ! So y ou look for a troop o f ol d N oll s
I ron s ides to bounce fro m u nder these p a c k ages in this good
Isle of Sh e pey ; or m ayh a p ex pect to se e him start forth
, ,

from behind his o w n A cts which y ou perceive g a rnish my ,

walls the walls of my secret pal a ce so sple n didl y ; but I ,

m a y talk abo ut his H ighne s s ay and about the pri s oners you , ,

escorted here despite the loyal men o f Kent for me to ship to

, ,

the C olonies and B ut no matter no matter N oll knew ,

I did it for he knows every thing Well sir you seem so

,
.
, ,
’
al armed that I m dumb a s a sand bank only thi s his H ighness
,
-
,

is far enough of to night and you need fear n o other O livers

-

, ,
”
for E n gland will never se e but on e .

True true , goo d D alton l —but tell me are you ofte n ,

”
o n the French coast n o w P
’
Yes I m grow n ol d and though my little Fire fl y i s
, , ,
-

still bright and beautiful and her ivories as biting her guns , , ,
’
sir as music a l as ever yet I m done with the C olonies ; they
, ,
’
ruin a m a n s morals an d his heal th ; but I do a little j ust by ,

w a y of a musement or practice with Flanders and France and

, , ,

a run n ow a nd then to Lisbon .

’
H o w long is it since you ve been to St V allery ? .

Some time now ; I w a s at Dieppe last month and that is ,

very ne a r .

D alton you must m ake St V allery before this m oo n is

, .

”
ou t and execute a little commis s ion for me
, .

Very good sir we have never di s puted a bout terms

, .

What is it ? any thing in the way of silks or ,

It is flesh human flesh Dal ton , , .

”
A h ! exclai m ed the B uccaneer rising and re coiling from ,
’ ’
the knight I ve had enough o f th a t and I ll have n o more
.
, .

Sir W ill mott B urrell you must seek out an 0 ther man ,
”
.

”
N ow Dalton
, sai d B urrel l i n his most insinu a ting tone
, , ,

you h a ve not yet heard me an d I take it very u n hand s ome ,

of an old friend lik e you to start o ff in s uch a manner without

knowing why or wherefore The matter is simply this — a .

girl a silly girl someho w or other got a ttached to me while I

, ,

w as in France I have received letter upon letter talking of

.
,

her s ituation an d so forth a nd thre a tening v a r ious things

, ,

a mongst others, t o come over here unless the idi ot ! I ,

 "
TH E B U CC A N EE R . 65

ac k nowledge her as m y w ife N o w you know or perhaps

.
, ,

you do n o t know that I a m be trothed to the d aughter o f Sir

,

R obert C ecil ; and if I must enter into the holy state why
, ,

she is a m a iden to be proud of I have arranged it thus

.

written to m y fair Zill a h to get to St Vall ery by a particular.

day the date o f which I will give you and told her that a
, ,

v e ssel wai ts to convey her to E ngland Y ou Dalton must .

, ,

guide th a t ves sel an d ,

but you understand me ; words
between friends are needless .

The cargo for exportation ; B arbadoes perhaps

Or A nd B urrell pointed with his fing er downwards ,

though when he rais ed his e ye to encounter that of the B uc

,

caneer it was quickly withdrawn

,
.

”
G od B urrell l excl a im e d Dalton in a tone of abhorre n ce
, , ,

y ou are a greate r villain than I took you fo r Why c an t ’

”
y o u p a y o f
f the girl send her som ewhere gild the crime P
”
Gold is no obj ect wi th her she desires h onour .

’
The sympath etic chord o f the B u ccaneer s heart was tou ched ,

for the sen timen t ech oed his own .

” ’
Then w h o i s sh e P h e demanded I ll not stir in i t u n
”
es s I know all .

B urrel l paused for a moment and then said ,

You have heard of M anasseh B en Israel a rabbi who m , ,

it hath ple a sed a gre at personage to distin guish wi th much

kindness : n ay his merc y has gone s o fa r as to contem plate
,

receiving that unholy p e ople in to c ommu n e with us gi ving ,

’

the m the right hand of fellowship and sn fl e r in g the m to taste

-
,

of the waters
”
Spritsai l and rigging ! interrupted the B uccaneer whose ,

enraged spirit sou ght som e outlet N o conventicle lingo here

,

you forget your company Sir Willmott What of the

, .

Jew ?
Y ou know his highness has str a ngely fa voured this m an ,

and that he is much thought of I t is n ow more th an s ix .

m onths since I was entrusted with a commission to P a ris an d ,

B e n I s r a el requested I would t ake charge of some packages he

desired to forward to h is daughter She re s ided w ith a family.

whom I knew to be Polish Jews but w h o con formed to the ,

C atholic faith and quieted the conscience o f a certain cardin a l

,

by l iberal o fferings o f silver and of gold I discharged the .

commission i n person an d must confess that the little black

,

F
66 T H E B U CC A N EE R .

eyed maid seated as I first s aw her on crimson cushions of

, ,

r ich Gen oa velvet a nd nearly enveloped in a veil starred with

,

precious gem s looked m ore like a houri than a wom a n She

“

.
,

ple a sed me mightily and as I had a good deal of time on m y ,

hands I tr ifle d it with her This might have done well ; we

,
.

might have gone on ple a sa ntly enough ; but th e c reature w as as

j e alous as a she tiger and a s revengeful to o -
I made ac
, .

quainta n ce wi th a blue eyed Dane a t the c ourt an d can yo u

-

believe i t ? sh e tracked my footsteps in di sgui se and would ,

h a ve stabbed me to the heart h a d I n ot wren ched the dagger ,

from her little hand She pretended to be sorry for i t ; and .

,

though I n ever trusted her our i n tima c y w a s renewed until I , ,

was recalled P a rticular necessities for mon ey pressing upon

.

me I s a w that no time was to be lost in fulfilling my con tr a ct

,
’
with Sir R obert C ecil s daughter M y J e w e s s however .
, ,

thinks otherwise ; decl ares s h e will follow me here th a t if I

’
do her not j ustice s h e will brave her father s anger avow her ,

intimacy with a C hristian ( which I believe they invariably

punish by death ) and forw a rd what she calls proofs of m y
, , ,

gu ilt to the Lord Prote cto r You perceive Dalton the crea .
, ,

ture is dangerous .

B ut what c a n she forward to O li ver P

W h y she w a s st arch a nd
, you comprehend me I ,
-

w a s obliged to submit to a species o f m arriage ceremo n y and

there was a certific a te a n d s ome letters In short C a ptai n .
, ,
’
knowing his highness s strictness knowing his wi sh to con
cili a te this B en Israel and feeling the expedien cy of my im,

mediate marri age I tell you it would be certai n destruction

”
to su ffer her to appe ar now .

“
Then I must ship her off so that s h e m a y never r e ,

turn observed the B uc caneer with a fierce knitting of his

, ,

brows .

D alton you know not what a devil sh e is were sh e gen ;

,

tle or a fond idiot she could be managed ; but she has the
, ,

s pirit th e foresight o f a thousand women

, B esides I swore .
, ,

when her h and was lifted ag a i n s t my life that I woul d be re ,

”
venged and I never yet swore in vain
, .

Dal ton looked upon B urrell s really handsome fe a tures ’

c ontracted a nd withered by the pestilence of a demoni a c spiri t

,

and loathed him from h i s very soul .

’ ’
I can t Sir Willmott I can t ; flesh and blood must rise
, ,
68 TH E B U CCAN EE R .

d a re s ay he was one of the Sy n der c om b gang H is highness .

”
imagines you conveyed so m e of them to their head quarters - .

Does he ?
M a s ter D alton y ou a re close
, .

M a s ter B urrell I have agreed to do your busines s

,
.

W el l
I m ean i t to be well C on sequently I have not agreed to
.
,
”
tell you m ine .

B urrell looked d aggers for a momen t and then turn ed off ,

with a h a sty step an d a for c ed laugh .

B l a sted be my ha n d for touching his in the way of amity

exclaimed the B uccan eer striking the table wi t h a vi olen ce
,

that echoed through the room The cold blooded rem o r se

.
-

l ess vill a in She is too good for such a sacrifice I must be

at work A nd s o on e infa my a t a time is not en ough for the
.
,

s in de a ling l a nd lubber
-
he wanted to worm ou t of m e
”
R obin ! ahoy ! Robin l
Dal ton stepped to the out s ide of th e still open door ; and on
the ins t ant descended from the communicating stair le a ding to
’

the Gull s N e s t not R obin but him of the grey steed and
, ,
’

bl a ck clo ak who was so ne a r falling a victi m to B u rrell s

,

treachery on a recent occasion .

C H A P T E R VI I .

F or u lg i ty t t v
s a es d o e er be e r
Th e pl g t th
a u es a b o u h h th y h v d
em w i c e a e ese r ed v
A n d, t i ll h p l g
t o se v
a u e s d o g e t a bo e
t i f l
T h e m o u n a n o f ou r au ts , a n dth e r e d o s it
th .h t ll
W e s ee e m n o t T u s , s i w e o e l v ,

ti l
T h e e v rl w e d o, u n t
w e s u fi er i
'

. B E N J ON SON .

T H E B uccaneer welcomed the young m a n with gre a ter warmth

t h a n is u su ally di s played, ex cept to near and dear connections .

I t must be remembered , also, h e h a d arrived at th a t per iod of ‘

life when feelings of a ffection and friend ship st agn a te some

what in the v eins and curdle into a pathy Few are there
, . .

who h a ve number ed fifty winters without wondering wha t

could have set their blood boiling and their hearts beating so
 T H E B UCCAN EE R . 69

warmly so m e fe w years before A benison upon a smil ing lip .

,

a kindly eye and a cheerful voice —whether they belong to

,

the young or to the old may all such true gr a ces be long
preserved from the blight called knowledge o f the world
which while be s towing information with the on e ha n d takes
, ,

away innocence an d hope wi th the other B ut to the s tory . .

The young C avalier gree ted his associate more as a friend

than a comp a nion : there w as evidently between them th a t
good understanding which arising from a cquaintance with th e ,

better points of character produces m u tu al estee m ; and al ,

though there was a degree o f deference paid t o H ugh Dalton

by the youth i t seemed a compliment to his age a nd expe
,

r ie n c e gr a cefully and naturally rende red and kin dly and

, ,

thankfully received I t was obvious that Dalton so considered

.

i t ; receiving attention fa r less as his due than as a volun tary ,

'

o flerin
g for which he desired to s how his gr a titude .

There w as nevertheless something of pity m ingled with

, ,

reg a rd which the youth mani fested towards his chafed co m

,

panion as he took the seat that had be en occupied by B urrell

, ,

and laying his h a nd upon the powerful arm of the B uccaneer

, ,

inqui red in a touching and anxious tone if augh t had parti

, ,

c u la r l y disturbed him .

Walter n o — nothing very particular ; for knavery and

,

vi llany are seldom rare and I have been long a c customed to ,

’
treat with both only it s too bad to have m ore unclean spirits
’
than one s ow n h arpyin g and haun ting a m an ! God ! I c an
b reathe better n o w that fell ow s gone A h Master W alter !
’

.
,

there be tw o sorts o f vill a ins in the world on e with a broad ,

bron zed face a bold loud voice a drinking look and an u n

, , ,

sheathed dagger — and him m e n avoid and point at an d ,

children cling to their mother s skirts as he passes by the ’

other is m a sked from top to toe his ste p is slow his voice ,

h a rmonised his eye vigilant but well trained he wears his

, ,
-

dagger in his bosom and cros ses his hands thereon as if i n

,

piety but it is in truth th a t his hold m ay be firm an d his

, , ,

stab sure ; yet the world know not that and the y trust him , ,

and he is singled ou t a s a p a ttern man for youth to follo w an d -

so but we all play parts — all a ll ! A nd n ow for a stave ,

o f a song H urrah for the free trade l a shout for the brave
B uccaneers ! a pottle of sack and now s ir I am mysel f , ,

again ! The brimstone smell o f that dark ru fli an nearly over

F 3
70 T H E B U CCA N EE R .

powered me So saying he passed his hand frequently over ,

h is brows attempting at the same time to laugh away h is

,
-

visible emotion .

I t will n ot do said the young m an whom Dalton had ,

“
addressed by the name of l Val ter ; so m ethi ng has disturbed
you surely C aptain I m ay ask what it is P
, ,
”
Some forty years ago I h ad a father replied the B uccaneer , ,
’
looking earnestly in the youth s face ; he w as an aged man
then for he did not marry until he was old and my mother
, ,

was beautiful a nd quitted his side : but that doe s not mat t er
,

only it shows how as my poor father h ad nothing else to love

, ,

he loved me with the ful l tenderness of a most a ffecti onate

n a ture H e w as a clergyman to o and a firm royalist on e o f
.
,

tho s e devoted royalists as regarded both God a nd king w h o , ,

would sub m it for their s akes to the stake or the block with
, ,

rapture a t be i n g thought worthy to make the sacrifi ce W ell .

,

I was wild an d wilful a nd even then would rather steal a thing

,

th a n g ain i t by l a wful me a ns : not that I would have stole n

aught to keep it for I w as generous enough ; but I lo v ed the
,

danger an d excitement of t heft and on the occasion I speak , ,

of I had taken some a pples from a neighbouring tree belong

,

ing to a poor woman I t w as evening when I took this .

unlucky fru it and not knowing a safe pl a ce in which to

deposit it I w as restless a nd disturbed all night
, The next .

d a y from a cause I could not guess at my fa ther would n ot

, ,

su ffer me to go out and w as perpetual ly o n so m e pretext or

, ,

other going to an d from the cupbo a rd where m y treasure had

,

been placed I w a s in agony ; and a s night again closed in the

.
,

a gita tion and anxiety I had su ffered m a de me ill and p ale .

My dear fa ther dre w ne ar him the little oak table that w as set
a part for the B ible and O pening it sa id that he h ad that day
, , ,

composed a serm on for m y e s peci a l c a se I dreaded that my .

apple ste aling had been discovered a n d I w as righ t though he

-

did not say so H e enl arged in sweet and simple l a n gu age

.

upon his text : i t w as this There is n o pe a ce saith m y ,

God to the w i cked

, Walter W alter ! the old man has been
.
’

m any years in his grave and I have be en as m any a reckless ,

wanderer over the face o f the wild e a r t h and still wilder s e a

but I have never done a deed of blood and plunder that those ,

words have not e choed echoed in m y ears struck upon m y ,

’
heart like the fi e n d s curse Yet he added in a subdued as .
,
 TH E B UC CAN EE R . 7
cent
'

,
it was n o cu rsin g lips prono u nced them : I have been the
curse to the holy words n ot they to me , .

I nev e r before heard you speak of your father observed ,

the youth .

I do n ot like to speak of him ; I ran off to sea when I

was about ten years ol d and when I came back he was de ad , .

There was war enough in E ngland at th a t time to occupy m y

active nature : I first j oined the King s party an d had m y ’

share o f wounds an d glory at G a insborough where I fought ,

with and saw poor C avendish killed by that de vil C romwell .

I t was at tha t same battle his successes began he had a br a ve

horse regiment there of his countrymen most o f the m free
-

,
’
holders and freeholders sons who upon m atter o f conscien c e ,

engaged in t his quarrel under him I t was there he ousted .

us wi th h is canting Gads ook s they w ent as regularly to.

their psalm singing as they h a d been in a conventicle and

-

’
thus d ye see being armed after their o w n fanatical fashion
, ,

within and without by the best iron armour, they stood as

,

on e m an fi r m l and charged as on e man desper a tely B ut

y , ' , , .

we have other things to talk of th an him or me so s it down ,

’
young gentleman and let s hear the news , or stay R obi n , ,

must first bring us some wine my warehouse is full of it

I must wash down the poison that fello w h as crammed in to
m y throat A h ah ! ah what chafes me is that from m y
.
, ,

cursed reputation, gre a ter villains than myself thrust me for

ward to do their work an d think they have a right to stor m ,
’
and stare i f I have conscience in any thing B ut I ll be even .

with them all yet with on e in p a rticul ar Th a t villain .

shall that far greater vill a in have peace ? There is no pe a ce ,

s a ith m y God to the wicked , .

’

H e summoned R obin who placed on the tabl e s om e meat ,

.

and wine and other matters th a t supplied a pretty substa ntial

,

supper a ceremony the rendering justice to whi c h a ffords us

,

su fficient leisure to ex a mine th e form an d fe a tures o f the youn g

C avalier who h a ving laid aside his en orm ous cloak recl ined
, , ,

on some piles of foreign cloths with an ease and grace that be

longs only to those of gentle blood A mid the h u s tle and .

occupation of life it i s a simple matter for people of ordinary

,

rank to a s sume the bearing of the well bred but repose i s the -

true c riterion of a gentlem a n or lady in asmuch a s there i s ,

then no mo t ion to take off fro m an ungraceful attitude or an

F 4
72 TH E B U C CA N E E E .

awkw a rd mi en The features of the C aval ier were alm ost too
.

high for be auty and h a d i t not been for a playful s mile that
frequently flitte d acros s his counte nance elongating his m ous ,

tache softening and ble n ding the hard lines that even a t four
,

and t w enty h a d deepened into furrows h e would h a ve been

-

pronoun c ed of severe aspect B right golden h a ir cluste red i n

.

rich curls over his forehead and fell a little on either cheek
, ,

giving a pic t ures que character to the form o f the head H is .

eyes appeared o f a dark grey ; bu t they were so much sunk s o ,

over sh a dowed by his forehe a d as to le a ve on e in doubt a s to

,

their ex a ct colour H is figure was unusually tall and well

.

formed a nd his whole be aring w a s more that o f an aecom

,

li h d gentlem a n th a n of a c u t and sl ash cavalier : h is manner

p s e - -

was neither reckle s s nor daring but i t w as firm and col lec t ed ,
.

H is dress was compo s ed o f the finest bl a ck cloth with a black ,

velve t doublet a nd his sword hilt gl it tered with diamonds

-
.

R obin did not attempt to pl a ce him self at the s a me t able ,

but s at back on a lower se a t a nd a t a little dista nce sharing

his repas t w ith Cris p who had s cr a mbled down the stairs after
y
,

his m aster and looked ugly en ough to be what he certainly

, ,

was an extr a ordi nary c a nine genius

,
.

D alton and Walter l aboured under n o restraint because of

the presence of R obin on the contr a ry he occ asionally shared ,

in the c onversation and his opinion upo n various topics was

,

frequently a sked ; indeed he w a s fond of bestowing it gra

,

tu itou sl y a nd seem ed highly pleas ed when called upon to

,

express it .

Didst hear R obin when B l ake w as expected o ff Sheerness

, ,

with the Sp a nish prizes P

In a few d ays it i s said he will either bring or send
, ,

them but m y own thought i s that it will be about a week , ,

n either m ore nor less before a ny ship arrives , .

I must get off for the French coast in a day or two said ,

Dalton ; and I do not care to retu rn until B la ke with his

’
train go up the river a bit for it s foul saili ng a thwart
’
the br a ve old bo y : he s the only man living I d strike ’

flag to .

A n d who has the care of th e Firefly n ow ou re ash ore ? ’

y
inquired the C avalier .

W h y J er ornio ,
”
.

’
I don t like him , said Robin bluntl y : foreigners are
 TH E B U C CAN EE R . 73
’
good slaves bu t bad m asters to us E nglish : I d rather trust
,
”
the ship to little Spring .

H e is a mere boy and too bad a sa i lor besi des he is, ,

gr own so superstitious swears the devil cam e to hi m on e night

,

I placed h im a watch on y on cli ff I must leave him asho re .

wi th you R obin and tell y ou what to do w ith the scapegrace,

, ,

if I am n ot b a ck by a particula r day I must als o gi ve y ou a .

letter to t ake to Sir Robert C ecil postponing an appo intm en t I ,

had made with him .

You h a d bette r give the letter to that gentleman ex ,

claimed R obin pointing with h is thumb o ver his shoul der to

,
“
w here the C avalier sat ; he would do a n erran d to C ecil
Place especially if i t were to the Lady C on stance right
, ,

gladly .

Indeed ! exclaimed D alton fixing his quick eye o n the ,

’
youth s c oun tenan ce that betra yed uneasiness but n ot dis
,

ple a sure . Sits the wind in th a t quarte r ? B u t tel l us ,

R obin h o w w as it
,
”
There is nothing to tell C aptain interrupte d Walte r , , ,

exce pt that Robin acc ompanied me to the Place as i t is ,

called to sho w me some alter a ti on s a n d point ou t the excel

, ,

len t order in which the trees are kept an d in the grounds we

encounte red Mistress C ecil and as I am informed the Lady , , ,

C romwell .

I wish you w ould keep close here though muttered ,

you ll be meeting th ejvill ain B ur rell before

’
Dalton ;
I w ould fai n enc ounter Sir l Vill m ott B urrell once again ,
”
a n d m ake him pay the traitor s forfeit
’
.

Peace p ace ! give B urrell rope en ou gh tohang him

s elf
e ’
. H e ll sw i ng a s high as H aman ere long R obin told m e .

o f the coward s treache ry

’
.

I wi s h R obin had not accompanied him to London ex ,

cl a imed Walter I hate people to carry two faces B ut m y

,
.

”
wonder is th a t B urrell would trust h im .

Just because he could not help himself retorted R obin , $

.

H e wan ted a clever lad w h o had understanding H is ow n .

valet w as i n France on som e business or another mighty

mysterious and a gentleman like him w h o has a good ch a ,

r a c te r a nd a foul conscience a good head and a bad he art h as

, ,

need o f a man of talent not a loon about his person T o do , , .

full justice, however to his discretion , he treated me to as f ew

,
74 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

of his secrets as he could and I endeavoured to save him ,

”
trouble by finding them all ou t .

The Buc c a neer laughed aloud but the high s c a led C avalier ,
-

looked serious .

”
Ah ! ah ! said D al t on you never did relish machin,

ation s a nd i t is well you are not left to yourself in this

,
’

l a n f mine honour is not the coin to ta k e to a vill ain s

p o
”
:

market .

Tis th e only coin I will ever deal in C aptain and I

’

told you before I left C ologne that o n n o other condition ,

would I a ccompany you to E ngl a nd except th a t o f be ing held ,

”
cle a r of every act u n befi ttin g a gentleman or a soldier .

“ ”
Young s ir replied Dalton ,
when y ou were indeed ,

young a nd long before y o u took your degree in m orality a t

,

the r a mbling court of the second C harles did I ever counsel ,

you to do aught that your th a t in short you might not do , ,

with perfe ct honour ? I know too well what i t is to sacrifice

honour to intere s t ever to wish you to make the tri al A s for .

me I am low enough in character

,

My kind preserver my brave friend ! in terru pted

Walter touched at h is change of manner “ Forgive such .
,

unworthy such unmerited suspicion This is no t the first

,
.

time I have had to lea rn your kindly care for me B ut for .

you
“
W ell there there boy — I love to call y ou bo y still ; I
, ,

can bear my own sh a me but I c ould never h e ar yours ,

.

Dal ton paused a pparently with a vie w to change the sub

,

j ect : the C av alier observed ’

You quarrel with ou r young king s m orality P
’
I faith I do ! though you w ill s a y i t s ill coming from
,
’

’
me to fault a ny m a n s conduct ; but I h a te your li ttle vices a s
much as your lit t le virtues sickl y puny goods and evils that , ,

are too we ak for su n to ripen too low for bl a st to break but , ,

which endure th e s ame withered s a pless things to the death

, , ,

d a y — Augh ! a bold villain or a real downright good m a n , ,

for my money H ow the devil can C harles S tu art do an y

.

thing great or think of any thing gre at with h is m istresses

, ,

and h is dogs his ga ming a nd , W h y it is hardly a year ,

since I took off from Dover that poor Lucy Ba r ton a nd h e r

brat a fter the poor thing su ffering imprisonmen t in the T ower
,

for h is sake l
76 T H E B U CCA N EE R .

heart and a light step W hat there ? My wife . she who ,

had hung s o fondly round m y neck an d implored me not to

'

le a ve her was stretched on a low bamboo bed

,
dead sir ,

dead ! I might have known i t before I entered had I but ,

remembered that she knew m y step o n the smooth wal k fell it ,

ever so ligh tly and would h ave met me — but for death !
,
’

A nd there too s a t a black she devil stu ffing my infan t s mouth-

,

with t heir vile food I believe th e b ag thought I was mad

.

for I caught the child in my arms held it to m y he a rt while I ,

’
bent over m y wife s body a nd ki ss ed her cold unretu rning
, ,

for the first time unreturning — lips ; then flung myself ou t

o f the a ccursed place —ran with my burden to the shipowners
, ,

w h o h a d p a rted with me most grudgingly — and was scu dding ,

before the wind in less than twelve hours m ore at war wi t h ,

my own spe c ies th a n ever and p a nti n g for s o m ething to wreak

,

my h a tred on A t first I wished the infant dead for I s aw

.
,

her pining away ; but at last w hen she came to know me a nd , ,

lift up her inno cent hands to my face I may co nfess it here

m any and m a ny a night h ave I sat in m y c abin looking o n
that sleeping child till my eyes swam in a more bitter bri ne
,

than w a s ever brewed in the A tl a ntic P a rticular c ircu m .

stances obliged me to part wit h her a nd I h a ve never regretted ,

her be ing with poor L a dy C ecil — only I sh o ul d have liked

her to pr a y as her m other did N ot that I suppose it wil l .

make any di fference at the wind u p — if h e added doubt -

, , ,

in gl y , there be inde ed any wind u p H ugh D alton will -

.

never be really himself till he can look that angel girl straight
”
in the face a nd ask her to pr a y for him a s her mother u sed
, , .

Dalton was too much a ffected to continue and both his audi ,
.

tors respected his feelings too mu c h to speak A t length he .

said , B ut this gloom will never do C ome Robin give us .

, ,
”
a song and let i t not be on e of your sad ones
, .

R obin sung ,

N o w , w h il e th e n ig h t w i n d l ou d an d c h il l
-

U n h ee de d rav e s a ro u n d t h e do o r ,
L et u s th e w i n e c u p dr a i n a n d fill ,
-

A n d w e l c o m e s oc ia l j o y s o n c e m o re
Th e j o y s t h a t s t il l r e m a i n to c h e e r
Th e g l oom i es t m o n t h o f al l th e y e ar,
By o u r ow n fire
 T H E B UCCAN EE R . 77
W h a t n ee d w e c are fo r fro s t a n d sn o w P
T h u s m e e t in g w h at h a v e w e t o fe a r
F rom fros t an d s n ow o r w in ds t h at b l ow P
,

Su c h g u e s t s c a n fi n d n o e n t ran c e h e r e .

N o c ol dn es s o f t h e h e ar t or a ir
Ou r l it tl e w orl d of t w e l v e fe e t s q u are ,

And ou r o w n fi re -
s i de .

I dri n k th i s pl e dg e to t h e e an d t h i n e
I fill t h i s c u p t o t h i n e an d t h ee
H o w l o n g t h e s u m m e r s u n m i g h t s h i n e,
N o r fill o u r s ou l s w i t h h al f th e g l e e
A m e rry w i n t e r s n i g h t c a n b ri n g ,
’

T o w arm o u r h e ar t s , w h i l e t h u s w e s i n g
B y o u r o w n fi r e s i de -
.

T he song however, produced a contra ry e ffect

,
th at the to
R anger had intended I t pictured a fan c ied scene
. on e to

which both Walte rand the B uccaneer had lo n g b een strangers

and a lengthened and p ainful pause su c ceeded to th e brie f

M
moment o f forced merriment I t was broken by the C avalier
.
,

who in quired
H ow long will it be before you retur n from this n ew trip ?
for remember m y good friend th a t suspense is a
, ,

H ell in terrup ted Dal ton in his us u al intemperate man

,

ner : but I cannot hel p i t It is n ot wise to pluck unrip e

.

fruit do you understand me P

“ Perfectly an d I dare say y ou are right ; but tell me ,

Dalton how i s it that till lately you s o completely abandoned

, , ,

this island an d kept to the Devon and C ornwall coasts ? I

,

should have thought this the most convenient ; your store

”
hou s e here is s o well arranged .

A y a y sir
, ,
but this is over near London though i t -

used to be a s a fe place enough but now that Sir i chael

Lives a y regicide that he is abides s o co n ti nually at Little
Sh u r l an d what chance is there for any good to such as I P I
,
’ ”
tell ye C romwell s nose is ever on the scen t
, .

A great advan tage to him and a disadvan tage t o his fo es

, ,

said R obin he h a s on l y to put the sai d n os e to the touch

hole of the biggest cannon and o ff it goes it never costs the
,
” ’
army a farthing for m atches when he s with i t .

Pshaw R obin 1bu t is he indeed so red nose d ?

,
You -

”
have often seen him C aptain ,
.

A y dressed in a plain cloth suit made by an ill country

, ,
78 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

t ailor ; his linen coarse and uncle a n his band unfa shionable ,

and often spotted with blood ; h is h a t wi thout a band ; h is

sword clo s e to his side ; h is counte nance swollen and reddish ;
and a s t o his nose it looked to me m ore purple than aught
, ,

else B u t sir to s ee C romwell see him in b a ttle — h e is a

.
, , ,

righ t noble hor seman a nd the bea s t ( a black on e especi ally he

was once so fond of) seemed to h ave been tutored by the evil
’
on e : i ts eye w as as vigilant as i ts rider s C romwell sits his .

saddle not gracefully but firmly just as i f he were part and , ,

portion of the a nimal ; then with a sword in his right h a nd , ,

and a pistol in his left Sir it was unlike a ny thing I ,

ever saw H e must have man a ged the horse by the pre s sure
o f his heel ; for I ne v er could make o u t such w a s the decision ,

yet r apidity o f his m ovements whether he held reins or n ot ,

now here n o w there fi r in g — prea ching

,
shouting pray
in g c onquering yet everything done in its right place and
time never s u ffering the ex c itement of the m oment to bear
,

down on e o f h is res olves H a d he been born a king .

”
H e would never have been what he is s aid the C avalier ,

for contention is the school of g re a tness .

’
I t s mighty fine to see you t w o sit there exclaimed ,

Robi n “ pr a ising up th a t man in the high pl a ce pretty C a va

, _

liers indeed ! W ell my opinion is that but indeed it is , ,

’
rude to give an opinion unasked so I ll keep mine to myself
’

.
,

You were talking of the convenien ce s of this place why ,

’ ’
bless you sir it s nothing to fifty others along St George s
, , .

’
C hannel Twould do your he a rt good to see tho s e ou r c ap
.

tain h as among the C ornish rocks ; such comfortable dwell

ings where you could stow aw a y twenty people never to
, ,

chirrup to the sun again ; such hiding hole s with neat little -

tr ains of gu npowder windi ng like sn akes in sum mer so that

, , ,

to prevent disco v ery one cr a ck o f a good flin t would send the

,

caverns an d the cli ffs high into the air to tell stories to the ,

stars of the power o f m a n s skill to destr oy th e most sublime ’

as well as the most beauti ful works of nature .

R obin you ought to h a ve been a pre a cher

, .

”
N o said R obin mournful ly a nd shaking h i s he ad as w a s
, , ,

his custom for I know nothing of your book holine s s only

,
-

I can t h ear anything moulded a nd m ade by the hand o f God

to be ruined by that of man .

W hat ails ye lad ? inquired the B uccaneer

,
 T H E B U CCAN EE R .
79

thought ye had got over all your shadows, as ye used to c all

them .

N ot al l o f the m ; only they do n ot come upon me fas

”
often as they used he replied gravel y for poor R obin h a d
,

one time been subj ect to periodical fits that bordered on in sa

n it an d during such afflictions wandered about the country ,
y
,

withou t s eeking repose or speaking word to a ny on e Con .

s tan ce C ecil with her usual kindness had h im freq uently

, ,

taken care of at C ecil Pla ce and B arbara s kind attention to ’

him during such fearful trials was the source o f as strong as ,

unvarying and devoted an attachment as ever human being

,

manifested towards another .

B y degrees the convers ation s unk in to lo w confidential

whispers as if c a ution even there was necessary It was
, , , .

near four o clock in the m orning before the B uc c aneer de

’

parted fo r his ship and then R obin escorted the C avalier to

,
’
his usua l chamber in the Gull s Nest .

C H A P T E R VI I I .

W h e n th i rs t y gr i e f in w i n e w e s t ee p ,

W h en h e a l th s an d d ra u gh ts g o fr ee,
F i s h e s th a t t i ppl e i n th e d e e p
K n o w n o s u c h libe rt y . L OVE L ACE .

A B L E SS IN G and a salutation , reveren d sir ! and may the

sun m oon and stars be san ctified un to y ou
, ,

A h ! Solomon Grundy wo ul d that the Lord had given

,

thee sense to un derstand as he hath bestowed upon thee

,

talent to speak according to th y understanding ! A s it is ,

Solomon I l a men t that thou art a fool Solomon a very fool

, , , ,

ex c ept i n what regardeth the creature comforts and of a -

verity thou art worthy to sen d up a dinner even unto H ugh

,

Peters after he hath deli vered a soul converting ora t ion before
,
-

’
the chosen from a mong God s people .

“
oh
fl V h ich refection he would in nowise condemn ,

served the cook o f C ecil P l ace whose closely —cropped head o f

,

foxy hair seemed to throw a proportionate quan tity of glowing

80 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

colour upon h is rubicund ecu n te n an ce H e h a d all the ou t .

ward m arks that i n dic a te a ban viva n t an d words of pie t y came ,

as awkwardly from h is lips as sighs fro m the mouth o f a seal or

a s almon H is il ittle grey eyes twinkled with a ffe c tion for the
.

said creature comforts and the le a thern p ouch he n ow

-

carried over his shoulder w as stocked with sundry good th ings

appropria ted from the larder for his o w n especi a l diet H e .

had received permission from Mistress C ecil to ac c ompany

some of his neighbours to see the grand company from L on
don visit a fi rs t rate m a n o f w a r th a t had just arrived o ff
- - -

Sheerness bringing in a train o f pri zes which the veteran

,

B l ake had taken and sent home himself proceeding to Vera ,

C ru z an d w hich i t w as rumoured the Lord Oliver w a s about

,

to inspect in pe r son Thi s intelligence se t the country in a

.

ferment and persons o f all cla s s e s hastened to the island to

,

witness the sight For the E nglish w er e as they no w a r e a

.
, ,

sight loving people who find ple a s ure in p age a nts and then
-

, ,

as a t present t hey demanded economy ; but when economy

,

came they de signated i t me anne s s

, .

The staunch Rou ndheads exulted a t the ide a o f C romwell s

exhibiting himself thus openly a fter the upsetting of th e
Syn de r c o m b plot ; and the R oyalists depressed and disap ,

pointed were content to let matters take their course at le a s t

, ,

until they s a w some prosp ect of a change ; while th e Level

lers the party most dreaded by the Protector and which had
, ,

been mo s t fa t al to the Stuarts remained in that da n gerous ,

state of repo s e that is but th e preparative for renewed activity .

The R everend J onas Fleetwood had se t forth from the sole

desire of beholding h im who was anointed with the oil of
the Spirit a nd whose n a me among the n a tions w as w onder
,

ful. Solomon Grundy a nd such other of the ser va nts of

,

C ecil Pl a ce as could be s pared were impelled forward by th e ,

wish o f hearing o r of seei n g something new intelli gen ce n o t

travell ing upon wings of steam in the seventeenth century and ,

n e w sp apers being but rare v isiters at Sh e e O ccasionally

p y .
,

indeed the r e did descend fro m the brea kfast roo m of Sir
,
-

’
R obert unto the serv ants h all a s tr a y number o r tw o o f
, ,
”
the Mercurius P olitic u s the Perfect Diurn al , or the ,

P a rlia ment Scout ; th e c o n tents of whi c h were eagerly de

v ou r e d by the s everal auditors while one m ore gift ed than , ,

his fellows drawled forth amid ej acul a tions and than ks unto
, ,
 T H E B U CCAN EE R . 81

the Lord the doings of the C ommonwealth and especia lly o f

, ,

h im who was a master in the new Israel B ut the informa .

tion of the underlings of the house was generally gathered

from the pious pedlars who sought entran ce at the gate well
, ,

stocked with wares o f ever y possible description an d with ,

”
gifts of which they were always abundantly lavish to those
who hungered or were athirst .

T he la di es of the family rem ained at h ome ; the Lady

F ran ces feeling assured that her father would not be present ,

as she had received n o intimation to such e ffect from W hite

’
hall C onst a nce however had heard too m a ny tales of O liver s
.
, ,

sudden movements to feel satisfied as to the certainty of an y

matter in which he was concern ed I t w a s n o secret either .

that he h a d been displeased with his d aughter for her obstinate

attachment to Mr Rich ; an d that he desired her for the
.
,

present to rem ain in retirement and away from court

,
.

We have said that Solomon Grundy h ad received permis

sion to view the sight ; and for a time h e proceeded on his
w ay, accompanied by the other dom e stics ; bu t under som e ,

s l y pretext he lingered behind them

,
The worth y preacher .

had n ot left C ecil P lace so early but not withstanding the , ,

ambling pace o f his favourite j ennet he soon came up to

'

Solom on w h o seated under a spreading el m by the wayside

, , ,

w as rapidly demolishing the conten ts of his wallet freshened ,

by frequent draughts from a black bottle o f vast rotundity .

”
Master Solomon Grundy he observed reining up his , ,

steed ,
could n o t your s tomach tarry even for a short while ? ,

A h worthy c ook , y ou have a most professional longing after

”
the fl e sh p ots -
.

Solomon gr inned, and appl ied himself with renewed dili

gence to his viands when the preacher had passed H e was .

n o w surrounded by a motley party who had crossed fro m the ,

main land all bearing towards the s a me poin t P u ritans

, .
,

whose cloaks were of the most formal cut an d whose hats ,

’
emulated the steeple o f St P aul s Levellers with firm steps
.
, ,

w rinkled and over hanging brows an d hard unchanging

-

features all den oting inflexibility of purpose and decision of

,

character ; C av aliers whose j aunty gait w as sobered and

, ,

who se fashion able attir e w as curtailed in consideration that .

such bravery woul d be n oticed and reprove d by the powers

that were ; w omen attired in dark hoods and sad coloured -

G
82 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

kirtles some of demure aspect others with laughing eyes and,

di mpled cheeks who excha nged glances and sometimes words

, , ,

with youths of serious apparel but j oyous coun tenan ces while
here and there might be recognised divines whose iron phy ,

s iogn om ie s di s dained to be a ffected by any of the us u al feel ings

that flesh is heir to an d ladies on horseback or in the lum ,

bering heavy carriages progressing from the hor se ferry with

, ,

steal thy pace and slow towards the centre of attraction

, .

The E nglish even now make a business of enj oyment but

i n those days what we designate pleasure w as known by no
, ,
”
such unholy term it was called recreation the refresh ,
” “
m ent of the creature the repose of the flesh
, by any ,
-

n ame i n fact except the true o n e

, ,
B ut in the partic ul ar in
.

stance to which we refer it w as considered a sacred du t y to

,

u phold and applaud the Lord Protector whenever there oc

curred an oppor tunity for so doing and sound hearted Puri -

t a ns would m a ke a p ilgrimage for the purpose wi t h as much

‘

z eal as ever Ro man C atholics evin ced i n v isitin g the shrine of

some holy saint The ships rode proudly in the harbour and
.
,

groups of the gentry were occasionall y conveyed on board by

bo a ts , that waited for the purpose both at Queenbo rough and
Sheern ess I t was an animated scene but the so ul of all w as
.
,

w a nting for neither C romwell n or any portion of th e court

, , ,

made their appe a rance When it was n oo n the people hoped

.
,

he would arrive ere evening ; but as the evening advanced , ,

and he failed to enter upon the scene there was a general ,

m anifestation o f di sappointment th roughout the crowd al ,

though some few rej oiced at the occurrence holding i t a sign ,

o f fear o n his p a rt as if he dreaded to be seen among them

, .

A p a rty consisting o f ten or twelve persons at Queen

, ,

borough had gathered round the trunk o f a w i thered and

,

hollo w oak growing in front of a public house that di spla yed

,
-

th e head o f the Lord Protector — a politi cal lure that w as ,

certain to a ttract all C ommonwealth people to th e receipt of

custom The noble tr ee had been one of magnificent growth
.
,

bu t age or a ccident had severed the trunk and within its heart ,

decay h a d long been revelling I t w as n ow perfectly hollow

.
,

and a fforded a free passage ; two enorm ous props h ad been

found necessary, to prevent its making a last resting pl ace of -

the earth it had for ages triumph a ntly protected The cavi t y .

that time h ad created was suffi cientl y extensive to a fford

8 4: T H E B U CC AN EE R .

for more and w h o h ad al so qu a ffed largely o f the forbidden

,

bever age called strong waters I say peace silly br a wl ,

ers I repeat it is an open an d a vowed doubting of Providence ,

that we should come th u s far and see nothing but a parcel of ,

people parcel of sky parcel of water parcel of ships

par c el
”
O f fools ! grinned little Robin pointing at the same time ,

towards the oratoric a l cook w h o so little reli shed the compli ,

m ent as to elevate the polished remnant of a mutton shoulder

,

blade and aim a well directed blo w at the m anikin which he

,
-
,

avoided only by springing with great a gility through the aper

ture in the tree s o as to alight at some distance on the other
,

side of the holl ow trunk This harlequinade ex cited much .

boisterous laughter among th e crowd an d n o on e j oined in it

more mirthfully than young Sprin gall who for some reason , ,

known best to H ugh Dalton yet san ctioned by Sir R ober t ,

C ecil had spent the last few days in the kitchens and butte ry
,

o f C ecil Place There w a s another youth of the sa me party

.
,

w h o perchance enj oyed the merri ment but w h o looked as if ,

he could have still more enj oyed m elan choly H e was seated .

next to Sprin gall on the rude bench ; an d the boy sailor treated
,
-

h im with such marks of a ttention as m anifested that be re ,

g a rded him more in the light of a superior than a s an e q ual , .

The stranger however remained with his hat s o much

, ,

slouched over his fa ce th a t his features were in complete ,

sh a dow while his clo ak w as mu ffled over the lower part of his
,

cou ntenance .

“
I s ay R obin exclaimed Spring e
, , co me ou t of your
shell ; you have rem a ined there long enough to tell over a
do ze n creeds o r pe ter s were they in fa shion C ome out are
, ,

you bewitched ? R obin th e Ran ger I s ay come forth and , , ,

give us a taste of your calling a melody a melody B ut

you sh ould hear our J er om io sing his lingo songs some night
a stern : and though I do hate that cunning r a scal yet m y , ,
”
eyes ! how h e does sing !
Singing ob s erved Solomon Grundy w hose potations h ad
, ,

wonderfully i n creased his piety singing is an invention of the ,

’ ’
beast s yea of th e horned beast s of him w h o knoweth not a
, , ,

turtle from a turtle dove but would incon tine ntly stew them
-

in the s ame c aldron over brimstone and pitch , therefore

shall my voice bubble and boil over agai nst such iniquities
 T H E B U C CAN EE R . 85

yea an d my tongue sh al l be uplifted against them , even in the

,
‘

”
land o f H am !
Go to sleep Solomon and you youngster give us a song
, , , ,
”
yourself growled Grimstone who h a d all the outward bear ing
, ,

M
o f a savage ; the evening is nigh closing an d the birds are ,

gone to their nests N evertheless the song m ust be right

.
,
”
proper : s o tu ne up tune up my boy i, ,

Sprin gal l with due modesty replied

,
I could sing y ou sea , ,

songs and land songs but these I leave to R obin H ays w h o

, , ,

be ats me hollow The clerk of ou r ship h as translated one of

.

J eromio s lilts so I ll tip y ou a bit of sen timent

’ ’
.
,

Oe r
’
th e i e t w a te r s
l
c e ar qu
y go d ol a g l i d es

M
n ,

A n d g e n t ly 1t w a k en s
T h e l m be r i g t i d e s
s u n .

A l l n a t u r e 18 sm l m g 1 ,
B e e ath a d above
n n

W h i l e e rt h a n d w hi l e h e av e n
a

A re b r e a th i n g o f l o v e !

In v a i n ar e th e y brea t h i n g
Ea rth h e ve n to m e
,
a ,

T h o u gh th e i r b a t y a n d c a l mn ess
e u

A r e w h i s p e rs o f th e e
F o r th e br gh t sk y m u s t dark e
l n,

T h e e rt h m u s t b e gr e y
a ,
E e th e d e e p g l oo m th a t sad d e s
r n

y so u l p as s a w a y
, .

B u t see th e l a s t day b e am
,
-

G ro w s p l e e re i t d e
a ,
i

A d th e d r k c l o u d s ar e p as s i n g
n a
A ll o ve r th e sk y .

I h e ar th y l i gh t fo ot t e p s ,

T h y f i for m I ee ;
a r s
A h ! th e t w i l i ght h as to”l d th e e
W h o w atc h es for th ee .

T owards the latter part the ditty which was but little of ,

relished by the compan y it was eviden t that Solomon had ,

’
followed Grim ston e s advice fo r his snoring formed a loud and ,

m ost inharmonio us bass to the sweet bo y like melody of Spring -

’
all s ballad .

R obin had rej oin ed the party but his face an d lips w er e of ,
~

a livid palen ess, and he seemed l abouring under evident dis

tress .

A rt hurt R obin ? , inquired t he s tranger who is kn ow n ,

to us by the name of Walter , now speaking for the fi rst time .

R obin sh ook his matted head in re ply .

Something ails thee man ; something must ail thee ,

”
spe ak good R obin
,
.
86 T H E B UCC AN EE R .

I m n either sick sad nor sorry he answered a ffecting

’
, , , ,
’
his usu al easy m anner ; s o here s a lo n g pull a strong pull , ,

and a pull al together at the black j ack to the health — But ,

pardon I had forgotten the wi ckedness o f su ch profane cus

,
”
toms .Yet R obin evidently did n ot hold it profane to swill
”
the brown bowl so e agerly that but the lees remained at the ,

bottom as he laid i t down refreshed and strengthened

, ,
.

So you w on t give u s a toast M a ster R obin said Spring

’

, ,
’ ’
all ; well I ll n ot only give ye a toast but I ll st a nd the
, ,

price o f a fresh j a ck of double dub for y ou all to drink it in -

and I ll fight any m a n that s a ys it nay besides

’

,
.

H old your profa nenes s exclaimed R obin with a solem ,

n it so opposed to his actu a l char a cter as to be absolutely ludi

y
c r ou s : Spri ngall thou h a st h a d too much already ; let us
,

depart in peace .

A curse on me i f I do — peace me n o peace .

”
I tel l you what interrupted R obin w ith res olute spite
, ,
” ’
ful ness if you swear I ll lodge inform ation against you
, , .

A h ! ah ah shouted several of the p a rty R obi n ,

H ays turned preacher ! Old N oll has sent the bre a th of holi
ness before him to supply his place and m ade a sudden con ,
”
vert of the Ranger l
I entreat you m ost meekly to be silent ; if not for m y
sake for your own My brethren y ou know not
, .
,
”
That here comes the bla ck j ack interrupted Sprin gall ,

and here s to th e he alth — B ut C a v aliers

’

IVe are n ot C a v aliers interrupted R obin in his turn ; , ,

as I hope for mercy we a re not C avali er s z— hard — honest ,

—pains taking C ommonwealth citi zens are we but not I say

-

,
”
not and he elevated his voice to its highest pitch
, n ot ,
”
C avaliers .

’
The devil s i n the car ds an d knaves are trump s ex , ‘ ,

claimed Spr in gall nevertheless I ll h a ve my toast an d here ’

i t is . C ome up stan di ng
-
The fa irest maid in Sh epe y
, , ,

B arbara Iverk and m a y she soon be a wife ’

”
To whom ? inquired R obin bitterly .

To whoever can win an d wear her repli ed Spr ingal l , .

’
C ome come M a ster B ob you re m a zed by some dev il ry or
, , ,
’ ’
other the wind s in your teeth you ve been sailing against a
n orwester or h a ve m e t with a witc h o n a broomstick the other
,

side of t his old oak Serves an oak right to wither u p— why

 TH E B U CCA N E E R J 87
’ ’
wasn t it made in to a ship ? B ut here s to B arbara Ive rk the ,

fair maid of Sh epe y

”
The fa ir maid o f Sh epe y ! repeated Grimstone after ,

drinking the to ast “ Th at title ought to be given to th e mis

.

tress not the maid

,
and I care n o t if I wind up the evening
,

with a cup of C an a ry to the health of Lady C onstan ce

Peace sir exclaimed the stran ger w h o had heretofore
,
.
,

taken no note of their rioting I shall o ffer chastisement to

’
any m an who profanes that Lady s name at a vulgar revel .

A dad ! and adad young sir ye re a game on e ! What s

’ “
’

, ,
’
in any woman that a man can t name her ? Flesh is flesh an d
,

as to di stinctions — w e are all membe rs of a C ommonweal th

so I s ay a stoup of C a nary to the Lady
’
B y holy P aul i f that Lady s name p a sses your unworth y
lips m y good rapier shall pass straight through your unhallowed
,

carcase ! exclaimed the C avalier fiercely at the same tim e ,

throwing back his cloak and drawing his sword more than half
,

ou t of his scabbard .

H ey ho ! tw o can play at that : I n ev er eat m y words

so th e sword in on e hand and th e C anary in the other
, ,
to
the health of
H is m outh w as stopped by the application of the palm o f
’
R obin s broad han d to hi s unclosed l ips ; while he whispered
some words into his ear that had the magical e ffect of restoring
,

the weapon to its sheath and of inducing the braggart to r e

,
-

sume the seat he had so hastily abandoned grumbling in an , ,

under tone words that fell in di stinctly upon the ear o f his op
,

poser .

Let us home ; i t i s a long and a dreary road to C ecil

Place and the night is upon us alr eady ! so up good Solomon
, ,
.

H ere landlord ! this fatted calf is unable to move : give h im

,

house room till to morrow ; and mind you put h im on h i s way

-

” ’
in time for the dinner h our was R obin s parting speech H e
-

,
.

then exchanged rough but kindly s alutations with his boon

, ,

companions and soon the trio — Walter, Sprin gall and R obi n ,

had taken a by path leading to the part of the island in which

-

C ecil Place was situated .

88 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

C H A P T E R I! .

H is de as sau l t an d ru gged h andel ing

ru ,
S trau n ge se e m e d to th e k n i gh t th at a y e w i th fo e ,

I n fa i r e d e fe n ce a n d g oo d ly m e n ag mg
,

Of arm s was w o n t to fi g ht
,
The F a er e Qu ee ne . i .

TH E three young men pursued their way ; at first laughing

and chatting merrily upon the e v ents of the m orning ; but
gr a dually becoming more and more s ilent as persons usually ,

do when the first fl ush of revelling is over The taller of the .

three who h as of course been recogn ised as the myste rious

,

v isiter at Lady C ecil s funeral and in the cave of th e B ucca

’

neer although he bore himself to wards them with all the cour
,

tesy of a true born gentleman received th e deferen ce o f hi s

-
,

more humble associates only as his due and in a manner that ,

showed he h a d been accustomed to m ore than merely respectful

trea t ment A fter tr a versing much low and marshy ground
.
,

they suddenly reached a spot where the road divided the on e ,

’
path le a ding to C ecil Place the other to G u ll s N es t crag , .

C ome with me R obin unless indeed the master w ishes

, , ,

your comp a ny I ask his pardon for n o t thi nking of that

.

afore said Sprin gall

,
.

“
N ot I good Sprin gall,
replied the gentlem an I ,
.

think you n eed a guide for you walk the quarter deck better ,
-

than the dr y land ; and if I mistake n o t the re are sun dry , ,

pit falls in the way to your present home I kn ow m y path

-
.

”
and besides am a regular l and lubber
,
-
.

Save and bless your honour exclaimed the young sailor ,

holding all lan d lubbers i n thorough contempt :

-
that ye r e ’

’
not : land lubber in deed ! I ll be at the N est to morrow
-

,
-

early if
H ush sai d the more careful Robin never speak words ,
”
o f secret openly,
Se e ye yonder ?
“ ”
Yes replied Sprin gall
, tw o horseme n on the other ,

road ; too far off to hear my words unless they had the ears ,

o f a b ar e

I had better go with you sir observed Robin e a rnestly , ,

’
I w ill go with y ou that s the truth of it Good night , .
,

Spring s teer to the left til l you come to the red gap after
 T H E B U CC AN EE R . 89

that along the stone fen ce on the right ; i t will lead y ou to

, ,

th e orchard then y ou kno w your way

,
.

”
Why did you not go with him ? in qu ired the C av a lier,
kindly ; it is a dark night poor boy he has small skill in , ,
”
la n d steering
-
.

H e must learn sir as I do answered R obin

,
and m y
, ,

duty calls m e to attend on y ou particularly when str ange ,

”
people are a stir -
.

“
Y ou are to be m y champion R obin ,

Your servant sir A se rvant who learn ed his duty before

,
.

i t was th e fashion for servants to forget what they owe thei r

masters A lack ! alack ! service n ow like liberty is but a
.
, ,
”
name and serv an ts do as they please
, .

Did y ou so with the M a ster of B urrell

B ut indi fferently sir ; I fl e d in a very servant lik e man
, ,
-

ner as y ou know when he was in danger B ut I had m y

, ,
.

reasons for it as well as for going with him to Lon don only
,
’
I d rather not talk of that to night sir I t is a mortal pity -

, .

that such a sweet lady as Mistress C onstan ce should be forced

to marry such a br u te ; for m y part I never could discover ,

any wisdom in those contracts a s they cal l them Ah little , .

,

B arbara is a discreet girl B ut I have heard so me one s ay . ,

that for al l her fine lands poor lady her heart is breaking
, , , ,
’
and chipping away bit by bit Tis very fine to be rich , but .
,

being rich very hard to be h a ppy becau se the tr oubles we

, ,

m ake ourselves are less easy to be borne than those that come ,

upon us in the course of nature I f I had m y wish it is n ot .

,
’ ”
gold I d ask for .

Indeed What then Robin ? ,

’
Just enoug h of be a uty to win o n e woman s heart I think
”
I have wit enough to keep it u .

Pshaw R obin though y ou may not be very : com ely

, ,

there are m any worse .

A y sir apes and baboons but they are like their kin d
, ,

while I a m a poor withered creature that N ature in spi te , , ,

”
threw fro m her coarse and unfinished , .

I won der a person of your sense R obin shoul d fret at , ,

such trifle s R emember beauty is as summer f rui ts easy to

.
, ,
”
corrupt, and quick to perish .

B ut for all that we look for them in summer sir j ust as , ,

”
you th seeks ou t beau ty .
90 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

The stranger turn ed towards Robin but made n o reply ; i t ,

is sometimes given to th e simple to disconcert the W IS6 an d ,

that alone by t heir s impli c ity .

A long silence followed each ruminating on his ow n pro

s pe c ts a nd proj ects : it was a t length broken by Walter w h o ,

abruptly asked if R obin was sure he had taken the right path .

Mercy sir am I sure of the sight o f my eyes ! B ehind

, ,

that tree runs the ro a d we must cross a nd then o n to Ston y ,

’
Ah m any s the signal l ve hun g ou t for the Fire fl y
’

G ap ! ,
-

from that same spot ; but if perilous times are past and we , ,

live in d a ys as Master F l ee tw or d hath it of peace poor ,

H ugh s tr a de will be soon over I wish he were back the

’
.

co a st looks lonesome without him .

So it does Robin ; but canst tell me what i t was that

,

m ade you look so dull and astonishi ngly religious a fter the ,

hop step and jump you took through th e hollow o a k

, ,

A h master !
,

Well Robin ,

Why you see when I sprang through thinking of no

, , ,
‘

’
thing at all a s the song says I found myself on the O pposite
, ,

side of the tree clo se as close as I am to you or nearly so

, ,

to A s Robin h a d proceeded thus far with his

recital a sudden turn brought them to the high road whic h
, ,

led in to a kind of hollow fl an ked on either side by close brush ,

wood A bout a hundred y a rds from where they st ood three

.
,

men were eng aged in violent feud The scene at su ch a m o .

,

ment and in such a place seemed produ ced by the wave of a

, ,
’
magi c ian s wand The C avalier rubbed his eyes as if to be
.
,

assured of its reality ; while R obin s tood a gh a st bewildered , ,

and uncertain how to act the moon w a s shining in all its

brightness s o that they could s ee as clearly as at noon day
,
- .

”
B y heaven tis two to o n e ! exclaimed th e youth casting
’

, ,

o ff his cloak, and unshe a thing his rapier with the rapidi ty o f

lightning .

So it is ! gasped R obin but tw o to such a on e Save

us sir ! you re not going to draw sword for him
’

, B ut
ere the senten c e w as concluded his companio n was in the thick ,
”
o f the fr a y O h ! exclaimed R obin as in agony “ that I
.
, ,

shoul d live to see true blood stirred in such a cau se H ow

’
he l a ys abo u t him ! Poor boy be little kn ows who s w h o ! ,

What a noble thrust ! han d ;to han d — how their swords

92 TH E B U CC AN E E R .

scrutiny and evidently a ffected by the loss of his boon com

,

panion on more occ a sions than on e ; he was ever after some

devilry but h is attack upon such as you
Silence sir Did I n o t before intima te my wishes ?
, .

Well then muttered R obin

, , his attack must have ,

been purely a mat ter of plunder Grim w as never ambitious . .

never looked beyond a purse of broad pieces ; addi ng in

”
a lower tone he was always a fool
,
.

“
The carrion hath fal len in a pleasan t pl a ce so let the
next comer look to it and do thou fetch hi t her my horse
, .

H ad i t not bee n that my saddl e girth g a ve way I could h ave -

m a stered twenty such footpads .

This was said in the tone of on e who however grateful for ,

assista nce would have been much better pleased to ha v e

,

found it n eedl ess and to ha v e worked ou t the victory by his

,

o w n hands .

R obin hurried to secure the ani mal a well trained war ,

-

horse which h a d stood quietly in the centre of the road calm ly

, ,

aw a iti ng the issue of the combat : he observed that the saddl e

was turned co m ple tely round and hung under the belly The , .

horsem a n a djusted his clo ak wiped his sword with the square
,

c a pe and had j ust replaced it in the scabbard when t he C ava

, ,

lier returned from hi s fruitless chase A s he advanced towards .

the person to who m he had rendered such signal servi ce he ,

noted th a t h e was a h ale stout m an probably past the meridi a n

, ,

o f life o f a ste m an d awe striking presence

,
and an in volu n
tary feeling of respect made him lift his hat from his head ,

and even remain uncovered wh ile expressing hopes th a t he

h ad received no inj ury fro m the cow a rds who had thus beset his
”
path . The other gave n o reply to the in quiry but fixed a ,
’
shrewd and penetr a ting gaze upon the young ma n s cou n te
n a nce A pp a ren tly the scrutiny pleased him for he ex tended
.
,

h i s hand a nd seizing that o f his preserver held it firmly

, ,

within his palm for about the space of a minute then pressed ,

i t within his mailed grasp s o s trenuously that the youth felt ,

the blood tingle to his fi n gen en ds .

I o w e thanks and grati tude and w ould fain kn ow to ,

whom your name yo u ng s ir ? ,

The C avalier p aused for a moment and then said , ,

You may call me De Guerre W a lte r De Guerre .

Walter De Guerre — an E nglish chri stian w edded to a

 T H E B UCCAN EE R .
93
’
F rench surname tis strange but let it pass let it pass , ,

you have been an instrument in the gr acious preserving of on e

who though unworthy is of some account ; an d instruments
, ,

i n the Lord s hand must be regarded My companions had

’
.

business in this neighbourhoo d and had l eft m e but a little ,

time when I was set upon by these cowards but God is mer
,

c ifu l and inspired you with valour

,
A nd n ow sir whither .
, ,
”
wend ye ? To C ecil Place ?
”
N o sir replied De Guerre pondering what he should
, , ,

answer o r h o w he should designate his present abode

, .

T o the worshipful sheri ff Sir Mi chael Livesey at Little , ,

Sh u rl an d ? H e m ust look to his ferry warden and boatm en to -

”
prevent such villainies as have n ow occurred .

”
T o none of these s ir replied Walter ; ,in fact I am , ,

a humble traveller lodging at a humble hostelry n ot far from

,
”
hence .

During this dialogue R obin h a d adjusted the saddl e girth

,
-
,

and led the horse to its master who took the bridle from his ,

hand and hel d it examining the gi rth as he spoke R obin

, ,
.

’
glided imperceptibly round to De Guerre s side and standi ng ,

behind him pulled his sleeve and w hispered 7

, , ,
-

’ ”
Don t tell him where .

T he intimation w as perhaps n ot heard, certainly n ot heeded

, , ,

for th e young man a dded ,

A t the widow
I bethink me the house near E ast C hurch I t is called .

’
N est N est N est N
’
a
y Gull s est Tis but a poor , .

ab od e for o ne w h o bears a diamond hilted sword and h e ar s it -

,

bravely too A n every day person M a ster De Guerre w ould

.
-

, ,
”
s ell the diamonds and get a gayer lodging .

Persons di ffer in this and all other matters m ore or less , ,

replied the y oung m an somewhat haughtily : I wish you

”
good night sir , .

H ot ! said the stranger at the same time lay ing his ,

hand upon the arm of De Guerre H ot and high ! I Vell it ’

,

i s an ill tree that needs n o pru m n g ; but the preserver an d the

preserved must not part thus C ome with me to C ecil Place .
,

a nd though I have it n ot to o ffer golden recompense yet I can ,

assure to you a glad welcome ; for my friends all love e ach

”
other .
94 T H E B U CCA N EE R .

Go with him go wi th him ; never say h im nay : why

,

s hould y o u not go whe n he desires it ? whispered R obin .

B ut y ou are mounted and well too and I a foot and cannot

, ,
-

,
”
p ace it with you replied De ,
Guerre hesitatingly , .

A nd your grey steed is too far away — eve n for that

‘

nimb le squire to bring in good ti me retorted th e other a , ,

kind of s m ile distending the rugged and untrimmed moustache

that garnished his upper lip .

”
My grey steed ! repe a ted Walter in astonishment .

Y es and a stout beas t i t is

,
B ut I will rein in m y .

horse and the Place is n ot s o dis ta nt but we may keep

,
”
together .

”
Thanks for your pro ffered hospitality s aid De Guerre ,

but m u st we not do something with the fellow you have

’

slain ? H is companion was too swift o foo t for me .

”
Let the tree lie even where it fell replied the other , ,

looking on the body for an instant a n d the n mounting his ,

horse with the greatest compo s ur e some one will cover it

with decent earth i n the m orning : let us forward m y youn g ,
”
friend.

De Guerre signified his consent and walked closely foll owed , ,

’
by R obin a t the stranger s side
, .

“A n d so ” observed th e horse man tu rning to the Ranger

, , ,

you a re accompanying us uninvi ted on ou r w a y Wert , ,

.

thou ever engaged in any o f the mummeries of Satan deno ,

m in ate d stage plays ? O f all the tricks learn ed at courts that ,

of tu m blin g is the m ost d a ngerous ; an d as thy maste r Sir

,

Willmott B urrell h as not practised i t yet I am at a loss to

, ,
”
underst an d how thou could s t be so perfect .

I have served many masters sir and am n o w ou t of , ,

”
employ replied R obin who se ready w it gappear e d to have
, ,

deserted him and who kept as near as possible to De Guerre

, .

Thou sayest truly ; and lest one of them may have a

demand upon thee ere morning what say ye to wending ,

onward to that unholy resort of c avaliers and smugglers called ,

’

the Gull s Nest and leaving us to pursue our course unattended

,
”
to Sir R obert C ecil ?
R obin bowed as respectfully as he could and w a s about to ,

whisper some words to De Guerre when the stranger added , ,

in a stern voice ,

O n , on ! no whispering .
96 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

state h as been experimentalising lately : — in a word I like ,

i t n ot .
4

That is a candid confession m ore candid than your former ,

words woul d have led me to expect B ut young gentleman .

, ,
’
i t is not s a fe to trust such sentimen ts into a s t ra nger s keep
ing : the Lord P rotector h as it is said his spies in every , ,

house nay it is reported the highways grow them as rife as

,
”
blackberries .

And you may be one for augh t I k now or care said the
, ,

youth bluntly B ut what of that — they say O ld N oll likes

.

in others what he h a th n ot yet practised himself — a thing

called honesty and at worst h e could but t ake my life which
, , ,

after all is little worth in compar ison to those he has already

,
”
taken .

A long silen ce followed this intempera t e speech which at ,

last w as broken by th e m ounted traveller .

Y o u spoke of innovations and I al s o believe it is ill to try

,

experiments in states unless the need be urgent and unless it

, ,

be the reformatio n th a t dra weth on the change and n ot the ,

love o f change that u rge th the reformation Is not time the .

greatest innovator ? — is he not always changing ? I t hath

been said that as in n ature things move violen tly to their place
, ,

and calmly in their place ; so virtue in ambiti on is violent i n ,

authority settled an d cal m S teel sharpens steel ; so on e glory

.

p e r fe c te th another : and I a m o f belief that they who are glo ,

rion s must have been fac tion s Yet are there degr ees in honour
,
.
,

and amo n gs t the first of them I should rank founders of com

m on w eal th s or even states such as we read of in history
, ,

R omulus
A nd you would I suppose include the name of C romwell
, ,

in the list you were about to m ake ? interr upted De Guerre .

”
A nd why not ? retor ted the other proudly ; why not
C romwell ? I s the oak to be despised be c ause it w a s once an
a c orn ? R emember wh a t he suffers for his st a te ; if like the ,

st a rs a bo ve u s he is much venerated eve n like them he hath

, ,
”
n o rest .

”
N or doth he deserve i t said the youth , .

”
A h ! s a y st s o !
’
exclaimed the stra n ger hastily but in , ,

s tan tl y adding in a settled voice W alter De Guerre or ,

whatever be your n a me beware and u se not such expres sions

, ,

w hen you know not yo u r company Y ou said but now your .

,
 T H E B U CC A N EE R .
97
opinions were yo u r property ; then give them n ot away u n
asked where we are going I know you to be brave and gene .
,

r o s it follows bravery as trul y as o ne star su c ce e de th another

y
but discretion o f speech is more val uable than eloquence .

’
A nd as to C romwell the people s shepherd has need to keep
, ,

good coun t and careful watch for wolves and foxes in sheep s ’

clothing break into the pinfolds kill and devour Did he not ,
.

act the part of E pimetheus (according to the profane but wise

fable ) who w hen griefs and evils flew abroad at last shut
, , ,

down the lid an d kept H ope in the botto m of the vessel verily
, , ,

indeed his lot would be severe We can know but little how
, .

hard it is to labour through ev il report and good report C ha .

rity in j udgment is befitting in all but most of all in the ,

gf
’

y ou n

They were now within sight o f C ecil Place De Guerre h ad to .

contend with many painful feelings a nd a provoking co n s cious ,

ne ss of the strange ascendency h is companion had acquired over

h im so that he dared hardl y speak his o w n words o r think his
, ,

o w n thoughts N or could he trace thi s to any external influence

.

the m a n was plain a lmost to vulgarity ; his dre s s common ;

and though his sword blade was strong the h a ndle was per
-

fe c tl y devoid of ornament H is horse was the only thing in .

his appointments that indicated the station of a gentleman ;

but the saddle appe a red s o old and battered an d wi thal s o ill ,

made that De Guerre marvelled so noble an animal woul d

,

condescen d to carry such a weight of old le a ther an d damaged

flock It is tr ue th a t towards the close of their convers a tion
.
,

he h a d uttered some sentiments that for a moment startled , ,

the C a valier but then he had uttered them in so unskilled an d

confused a m anner and with such an unmusical voice th a t i t
, ,

reminded him n ot unaptly of a blacksmith stringing pearls

, , ,

so coarse was the mediu m through which these fine things

came H e ventured to console himself however by the re

.
, ,

fl e c tion that a man o f such cool and determined bra very must
,

be despite external appearances a perso n of some consequence

, ,

an opinion confirmed by h is being a guest and evidently a pri ,

vil e ge d guest of Sir R obert C ecil

, H e arrived at this conclu .

sion as they passed the postern g a te and as the night was -

n o w far gone the old porter lighte d his fl am be au x to escort

,

them to the house .

98 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

A s the ol d man walked some degree in advan ce, the elder

took the O pportunity to in quire of his companion ,
? ”
H a ve you ever seen Mistress C ecil
Seen Mistress C ec il re peated De Guerre in evident ,

embarrassment : I hav e seen but few of the ladies of the

country — have had few opportunities of doing so ”
.

Yet y ou re sente d the profanation o f her name this after

noon under th e oak dost remember that ?
I know not who you a re sir retorted Walte r an grily , , , ,

an d at length fully roused from the respectful s ilence he h ad so

long maintained that you should thus cross and question on e
,

who sought n ot your a cquaintan ce B y heavens if I were a .

,

friend ( which thank God I am not )o f h im you c a ll Protec tor

, , ,

or King or whatever i t be I woul d ad v ise h im o f such per

, ,

sons ; for it is the duty o f every honest subject to w a tch

over his ruler as over his father with the c a re a nd the duty
, ,

the tenderness and a ffection o f a child I should like to kn o w

how you knew I had a grey steed ?
O r how I discovered your r u fll e with Sir W ill m ott B urrell
”
after the funer al interrupted the other
,
bu t be n o t a fr a id of
meeting him : he left C ecil Place some d ays ago to arrange ,

some business N ay n ow do not crow loudly your defian ce

.
, , ,

because I mentioned the word f ear Wh a t a game cock it is .

-

pity that though there is no white fe a ther there shoul d be n o

, ,

right feather in so gallant a cres t ! Methinks the ol d porte r

is long in summoning the grooms so I w ill en ter in the name ,
’
o f the Lord and do thou mind Old Thunder he a dded in
, , ,

a gentle tone at the same time p a tting the curved neck of the
,

noble creature who turned round his he a d at the care s s as if in

, ,

appreciation o f its value .

De Guerre took the bridle almost mechanically in his hand ,

an d at the same time muttered Left here like a groom to , , ,

’
hold his horse ! B y the Lord ! I ll groom it for n o man
’

y et,
tis no di sgrace even to knighthood
, to han dle a good ,
’
steed ; though I d bet my poor Jubilee against him Ah ! .
-

here they come an d he was preparing to resign his charge

right gladly to tw o servants who advanced from a side door ,
-

j u s t as the stran ger h ad mounted th e l a s t of a series of bro a d

a nd pl a tform like steps le a ding to the principal entr ance
-
No .

sooner however h a d the first of the attend a nts caught sight of

, ,
’
the horseman s cloak and broad brimmed hat of the strange r -

,
100 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

old ?
A nd must I see no more o f that gentleman
“ N ot to night S ring perh a ps to morrow he may give
p ;
-
-

you s ati s fa ction , adde d W alter, smiling at his o w n con ceit .

The youth wen t off not very steadily, to the little g ate by
,

which he entered ; and a serv ant immedi a tely announ ced to

De Guerre, that Sir R obert C ecil waited for him in the supper
hall .

H e followed the domestic through the great vestibule, which

bore a more cheerful as pect than on the sad but memorable
’
night of H ugh Dalton s most unwelcome visit Al though the .

spring was considerably advan ced , the fagot bl a zed up the huge
chimney and illumined every corner of the overgrown apart
,
'

men t T h e grim portraits whi ch graced the walls looked

.

m ore repugnant than usual in the red light that was thrown
u pon them by the glowing fl r e while bene a th hung the very
suits of arm our in which if their most a pproved chroni clers are ,

to be believed they had performed fe a ts o f v a lour

,
U pon the .

t able of m a ssive marble were strewed sundry hawk s hoo ds ,

bells a nd j esses some fi sh ing tackle and a silver moun ted -

,
-

fowling pie c e also appeared amid t he m élange while a little

-

bl a ck spaniel of the breed that was a fterwards distingui shed by

,

a royal n am e w a s busily eng a ged in pull ing the e a rs o f a mag

,

n ifi c e n t hound o f the w olf kind who shaggy an d sleepy , , ,

s eemed little dispo s ed to be roused from his lair by the capri

oles of the diminutive cre a ture th a t h ardly reached to th e first

j oint of his fore leg The lesser animal in a c cordan ce with
-
.
,

the general custom of his kind r a n yelping an d barking at the ,

stranger a s he adv a nced up the h all while the more s ag a cious

and d an gerous dog raised his he ad shook his e ars stretched , ,

forth his paws and elevated his broad chest then sni ffed the
, ,

air so as to be able to remember De Guerre if ever he needed

to do s o s eeing that he was escorted by th e serva n t and ,

therefore doubtless , a person of respectability he composed

, ,

him s elf ag ain to rest as De Guerre entered the presen ce o f Sir

Robert C ecil .

A few weeks had wrought a fe arful change upon his coun

ten an ce and form the eyes wer e more holl ow the cheeks more ,

p ale the h air ribanded with white where but a little before
, ,

there h a d been few grey hairs and the s houlders were much ,

rounded sin ce his interview with the B uccaneer H e proceeded .

courteou sly to meet his guest bowing and expres sing the , ,
 T H E B U CCAN E E R . l 01

honour he felt in being introduced ( through the Lord s mercy )

’

to the preserver of his friend The baronet had approached .

slowly tow a rds De Guerre during this salutation but either his ,

dim sigh t or the obscurity of the further end of the room

, ,

prevented his being at first struck with his appear a nce A s .

’
the young man advanced Sir Robert C ecil s g a ze w as fastened
,

on his counte nance with a gasping earnestness that shook ,

every fibre of hi s frame his lips tremble d and remained ,

apart and he seemed for a fe w moments unable to move to

,

the seat he had quitted .

“
The friend he had alluded to was seated in a carved ch air
near the fire h is foot placed upon a cushioned s t ool and his
, ,

arms folded over his bosom hi s head rested on his chest but , ,

his eyes were fixed on the beautiful face of C onstan c e C ecil ,

’
who had risen on the stranger s entrance nor did i t esc ape the
’
notice of so keen an observer, that the lady s cheek w as su d
de n l y su ffu sed by a deep hue o f cri m son as suddenly succeeded ,

by a pallor and trembling that made her cling to the arm of

,

Lady Fr ances C romwell for support .

I beg to present he rose an d said “ to my worthy

, , ,

frie n d Sir R obert C ecil, and to yo u Lady Frances C romwell , ,

and to you also Mistress C ecil this young gentleman by the

, , ,

name of Walter de Guerre who though of French extraction , , ,

hath doubtless had an E nglish go dfather who h a th favoured ,

him with an E nglish C hristi a n name A nd n ow, m ost worthy .

baronet a s master of this mansion I pr a y y ou to present me

, ,

to h i m who hath a swift ar m and a ready hand for the defence

”
of an atta cked soldier .

“
M aj or W ell mor e youn g gentleman ; a trie d and trusty
,
.

frien d to the E nglish C ommonwealth and its Protector ! s a id

Sir Robert at last adding as if in apology for his emotion ,

C onstance this strange megri m in my head A nd Con

s ta n ce w i th the watchful care of an a f
,
.
fection a te child led h i m ,

to his seat presented hi m a gl a ss o f cordi a l ; an d not till

,

he had declared himself qui te recovered did sh e return to her ,

station on the low fofa beside her friend Lady Frances ,

C ro m well .

De Guerre w as particul a rly struck during the brief repast ,

th at followed by the extraordinary change in the m a nner of

,

his companion , who fro m being an ani m ated a nd sensible

,

speaker upon matters connec t ed with the state, had become

,

11 3
 02 T H E B U CCAN EE R .

m ore like a mysti fied and mystifying preacher than a soldier ,

but whose ou t pouri ngs were listened to with reverence an d

-

attention by the company The C a valier felt himself ill at

.

ease in his presence and but for a govern ing m otive hereafter
, ,

to be explained would have withdrawn from the house when

,

the supper was concluded despite the specious invi tation and
, ,

much pressing to rem ain he however acc epte d the apartment , ,

provided for him by Sir R obert C ecil The ladies attended .

,

by their women withdrew immediately afterw ards and as

, , ,
’
Lady Frances kissed her friend s cheek she whispered , ,
“
Didst see how Maj or — plague upon me to forget h is
n ame eyed both you and the handsome stranger ? A nd
then she whispered so as to be quite inaudible ending by ,

saying while C onstantia a ffectionately pres sed her hand ,

A h those holy eyes of blue rem a ining so silent a nd so ,

fixed do m ore mischief than my poor l ittle brown ones th a t

, ,

are ever roaming about seeking what they can devour but se ,
”
curing no prey .

C H A PT E R ! .

W i th th at sm oo th fa l s e h ood w h ose a ppe aran c e ch arms

, ,
A n d r e aso n o f e a c h w h ol es o m e d ou b t d i s a rm s
;
W h i c h to t h e l ow es t d e p th s f g u i l t d esce n d s
o
v i l es t m e a n s p u r u e s th e V i l e t e n d s
,

!ife ar s fr i e n d h i p s m s k fo r pu rpo se s of Sp i te
s s .

’
s a
,
Fa wn s i n th e da yla nd b u tc h ers i n th e n i gh t
.

. C H U R CH ILL .

TH E dwelling of Sir W illmott Burrell was about eighteen or

twenty miles from the island of Sh epe y on the Kentish ,

border The mysterious companion of De Guerre had cor

.

r ec tl
y stated that a t the period of his introduction to the
,

C ecil fa mily the youth had little chance o f meeting with his
treacherous a ntagonist of the evening on whi c h th e remains of
L a dy C ecil were consigned to th e tomb ; the knight having
’
been for some d ays previous occupied upon certain weighty
,
,

a ffa irs within his own house A bad landl ord can never suc .

c e e d in con vincing his tenantry that he is a good m an The .

presence of Sir Willm ott was by no means desirable to his

 04 T H E B U CCAN EER .

pec te d and his fine property was s o consider ably mortgag ed ,

as to render an appeal to his an c ient friends the u surers a , ,

m atter of mu ch di ffic u lty if not totall y useless M a n a sseh

,
.

B en Isra el indeed he knew had an inexhaustible store and a

, , ,

not unre a dy hand as he had upon more tha n on e o c ca s ion

, ,

experienced ; but villain a s he w as he shrank from the idea

, ,

o f applying to him for as s istance at the very moment when he ,

w a s thrusting the iron in t o his soul .

B urrell was seated alone in his library musing over the ,

labyrinth from which he saw no immediate prospect of esc a pe ;

plan succeeding plan as unnoticed by him the twilight had
, , ,

deepened into the night H is doors were ordered to be locked

.

at an e a rly hour — a command which it is to be supposed , ,

the serv ants obeyed or disobeyed according to their ow n plea

sure .

’
The Lords C ommissioners Fiennes and Li sle who were , ,

travelling round the country on special busin ess had been his ,

vi s iters for three or four d a ys and on the evening on which

they took their departure he was as we have de s cribed him , , ,

m using in his library upon n o very amicable terms with him

,

s elf when his reverie was broken by a knock against the glass
,

o f a n oriel window that was sun k deep into an embrasure o f

the wall H e started fro m his seat and was s o alarmed at

.
,

perceiving the face of a man close to the fretted frame work -

as to draw forth a pi s tol and present it towards the intruder

,
.

In a n instant the shivered fragm ents of an ex q uisi tely tinted

pane flew into the library a nd a voice excl ai med , ,
’
It s me
A nd what is th e m otive of this destruction ? stormed
forth the M a ster of B urrell in an angr y tone proceeding at , ,
‘

the same time to open the window ; were there not people
enough belo w to bring up your mess age ? an d are there n ot
doors enough for you to enter without cl a mbering twenty feet ,

up a str a ight wall and shattering this beautiful pi c ture the

, ,

Marri age of St C atherine in a thousand pieces ?

.
,
”
A s to the marriage of St C atherine observed hi s visiter .
, ,
stepping through the c a sement I wish I could break all ,

m a rri ages as easily and as to the motive your hon our I di d , ,

n ot like to wait
q uietly and see a pistol b all walk towards m y
,
-

w i tless pate to convince by its e ffe c ts thereupon the u nbe lie v

, , ,
m g world that R obin H ays had brains A s to the domesti cs .
,
 T H E B UCCAN EE R . 105

the doors were locked and they I do believe ( craving your , , ,

’
p a rdon sir ) too drunk to open them A s to the wall it s
, , . ,

somewh a t straight and slippe ry but what sign ifies a wall to

o n e who c a n be in safe t y on a tow line and only that between -

him and eternity ? T hank God ! there is nothing on m y

conscience to m ake m y footing tremble or
” “
R obin H ays interrupted B urrell at last
, I have listened ,

to you with much patien ce because I know you love to hear ,

the sound of your o w n voice ; if y ou h ear either message or

letter from m y wor t hy friend Sir R obert C ecil let me have it ,
”
at once .

You are in error s ir under favour , ,

.

Indeed ! the n to whom am I indebted for this visit

”
for I suppose y ou came not on your ow n account ?
A h Sir W i l lmott
,
you a re always wise Sir Willmott ; ,

truly it would be ill coming on m y ow n account seeing that I ,

h a d no business of my own to bring m e therefore why should ,

I come ? an d even if I had Dapple Dumpling travels s o ,

”
slowly .

This tri fling is impertinent exclaimed the knigh t an ,

”
grily to your business .

’ ’
I hope it wo n t end in sm oke as it begins in fire replied , ,

R obin slily presenting a roll o f the tobacco vulgarly called

,

pig tail
-
.

Mis shapen wretch -

retorted B urrell in a towering pas
sion flinging the roll directly in his fa ce
, how dare y ou to ,
”
trifle thus with your superiors ? art drunk or mad ? ,
”
N either an please ye Sir Willmott replied R obin re
, , , ,
’
pla cing the tobacco in his bo som o nly since you wo n t look ’

into the pig tail perhaps you wi ll tell me what I am to say to

-

,
”
H ugh Dalton .

H ugh Dalton T here give it me why did you not tel l ,

m e you came from the B uccaneer ? R obin you are a million ,

ti m es worse than a fool ! There sit good R obin B ut no , , , ,

’
light me y ou lamp ; the fire burns dimly A murrai n on t .
,
’ ”
I can t s ee ! T here that will do , .

’
While B urrell re a d Dalton s communication thus whim ,

s ical l
y but carefully conveyed Robin had ample time to m o ,

ral is e on and observe all around him .

” “
That ta ble thought the R anger , is j ust a type of the ,

times The B ible it can har dl y be seen for the heap of foolish
.
,
106 T H E B UCCAN EE R .

expositions and preachments in the shape of pamphlets th at

, , ,

crowd upon i t 0 Lord ! 0 Lord ! take from the Puritans

.
, ,

their vain opinions wild imaginati ons false valuations and

, , ,

the like which they hang over the book that B arb ara says has
,

so much good in it (j ust as the C atholics a t San E u statia trick

’ ’
ou t the Saviour s figure
) and what poor shrunken m inds they
,
d
have ! Then the bottle and glass : that I m afr aid typifies ,
’
,

the C av alier ; the poo r C avalier ! who clings so firml y to the

wor n and lets go the stronger rope B ut mark how the filthy
, , .

liquor stands beside the pure book — even s o are the just an d
’

the unj ust mingled Ah he h as been praying with the Lords

.

C ommissioners ; then drinking and s o forth the insta nt their , ,

backs were turned ! Yet God hath m a de the double faced ,

-

v illain o f good proportion s so that a woman can look on h im ,

with love though his heart , augh I wouldn t have hi s ’

he art for his l ands no nor for h is fine person either B ar

, ,
.

’
bara can t abide him she always says he has a bl a ck look
and so he h as B ut h ark ! there s knocking at the g a te and
.
’

,
’
loud knocking too Sir Willmott as the servants can t hear , ,
’ ”
so can t a n swer shall I go down ? ,

B urrell was so much occupied with his letter that he heard ,

’
neither the knocking n or R obin s questi on but sat his eyes , ,

staring on the paper as if the words were o f fire N or was it

, .

a long epistle though su ffi ciently important to ri v et his whole

,

attention The contents were as follows

.

Apri l th e 6t , 16 6
h 5
.

SI R ,
A greeably to your instructions, I went the house at to
St Vallery where yo u told me I was to meet th e lady of who m
.
,

we spoke but sh e had left harbour a few hours before I en

ter e d
. With much trouble I succeeded in tracing her to a
very o dd sort of dwelling a li ttle outside the town yet not in , ,

time to overtake her or her attendant Some said o n e thing .

,

and so me another ; but I coul d gather no informati on to be

depended on I remained nearly nine days in the neighbour
.

hood watching every ve sse l that came in or went ou t never

,

th el e s s I am persuaded that sh e h as embarked for E ngland

,

how is still a mystery

, .

You rs ,

F IRE F L Y -
.
108 T H E B UCC AN EE R .

h y
t e le d only to the libr ary, and w as crossing th e apar tmen t
for th e purpos e of annou n ci ng B en Is rael , when the Jew , w h o
had closely and unobs er v e dly followed h is foo tsteps wi t h so

M
’
light a tread as even to esca pe Robin s ears, pass ed him su d
denl y, and as sudde nl y B u rr ell of B urrell spr ang from h is s ea t,
as if struck b a m us ke t ball
y -
Th e o
.l d ma n stood before him ,

h is features wor king, h is lips m oving, bu t no arti cula te soun d

com ing for th — h is en tire frame agi tated, almos t convul sed ;
while B urrell, ex erting every power of his m in d to the con tes t,
w as the fi rs t to move H e ste p ped to wards the Jew , ex ten di ng
.

his hand in token of amity B e n I srae l tou ched it n ot, bu t

.

raise d h is arm , pointing h is skinny and sh rivelled finger to

w ards B urrell , until it ca me on a lev el with h is cou ntenance
then by a de s perate exertion the cracked strained voice forc ed
, , ,

a p ass age throu gh his par che d throat, and he ex cl aim ed ,

y child m y only one Zilla h my beloved my ,

only only child ! Do ye reme m ber your o wn mother wh o

, ,

travailed fo r ye br ought ye forth in pain an d carried ye and

, , ,

nou ris he d ye in her bos om ? Do ye ever hope to h ave s child ,

w h o will tend and se rve and watc h ov er y ou as mine on ce

, , ,

did ov e r me ? If so, te ll , te ll me where mine is l — I will

bless you for th e kn owledge ! I an old ma n wh ose he ard is
, ,

h
w te impl ore you wh o ha ve ruined her to te ll me where she
u
i f
, , ,

Th e Jew fl u ng his cap on th e fl oor , and prostrated himsel f

be fore B urrell , wh o imm e diately raise d him , and in his mos t
pe rsuas ive tone sou gh t to soothe and assure the Rabbi he h ad
been in every res pect m is led and m isin form ed .

Sit, good Ben I srael, and com fort yourse l f ; you have, I
s wear to you , been gross ly impose d upo n by so me m al ignants

whom I mus t Robin ! hun t out th e knaves , and bring

s ome wine —
the best in the ol d bin , for m y good frie n d .

H ow coul d y ou , si r, supp os e me capable of betr aying th e con

fide n ce you r epos ed when you introduced me to th e abod e in
which y ou r fair daugh ter dwelt ? B ut , gran ting I h ad th e
as cenden cy over her, which from you r speech you seem to
in fer, h ow
Sir C h ristian , stop ! interrupted B en I srael , who, now
his feelings had found v ent, had composed himse lf, so as to
m eet h is wily ad ver sary with to lerable fortitude : Sir C h ris tian ,
s top T here are two classes of hum an kind your sect decei v e
 r nn B u c ca x m m . 109

with out regret betray wi thout c ompunction — and destroy ,

body and soul without remorse — women and Jews It is

, .

’
n ought sir nou ght
, ,
me re pastime women s hearts an d re
’
t ti and l d men s g r ey h airs A l as alas ! an d is su ch
p u a o ns , o

th e religio n of E ngl an d T he old man ben t his head and ,

m oaned heavily then a fter a little sp ace of time rai s ed him, ,

s elf and s aid

,
In the n ame of the God of Ja cob I will ta ke
, ,

y ou point by point Reply un to my ques tioning a nd if thou ,

can s t acquit th yself — A ray o f ho pe d ar ted over h is ex

,
.

p re ss ive featu res like a beam of light ath w art a thunder cl oud
,
- .

“ B u t no ” he continu ed his cou ntenance a ain darken in

,
"
g , g Q ,

i t c annot be it cannot be .

”
l Vor th y B en I s rael ! ex cellen t Rabbi ! r epli e d B urrell

disse zt me as you will ; and if I an s wer not thy expecta

ti on
T oo truly wilt thou ans wer my ex pe cta tion said the Jew , .

T he Lo rd of H os ts be pra i sed tha t th es e ini qu i ti es are n u

p racti s e d by the c hild ren o f m y pe opl e T he inn ocen t l amb
t orn from the fold ; or what i s wors e d e coy ed from the te n ts
, ,

o f h e r fa th er s H ad sh e bee n dead I could have said The, ,

’
Lo r ds will be done H e hath taken th e c hild ba ck i n to her
,
’

’
moth er s btwom B ut a nswer un to me thes e poi n ts
. Didst
o ften see Zillah ?
“ I certa inly did see your dau hter at times during m y s ta y
g ,
"
in Paris .

A nd why h avi ng delivered m y m essages ? Of wh at im

,

portan c o ught thy vi si ts to have been to on e of the d es pi se d

e

”
ra ce P
You su rel y would not impu te evil to my inquiring if your
d augh ter wished to write to h er fa th er wh en I forwarded
des patches to E ngl a nd
S tran ge th en she should ne ver ha ve ava ile d her sel f of
, ,

su ch kindness Did s h e give n o re as on fo r this ne glec t of her

.

p arent
I saw so li t tle of her r epl i e d B ur rell car eles sly
,
that I ,
”
really fo rget .

T he R abbi sh ook his h ead .

“
Perha ps then Sir W illmott B urrell you can rem e mbe r
, , ,

this trinke t an d i n form me how i t ca me into my daughte r s

’
,
"
h ands : i t w as fo rce d from her p revious to her fl i ght .

B u r re ll s tar ted for it was a m inia ture of him self w hi ch

, ,
 10 TH E B UCCANEE R .

he had given her in the bud of his a ffection A t last he .

brazened ou t an assu r an c e that however like it was n o t his , ,

that he could not tell how y oun g ladies obtained miniature

pictures that if the Rabbi would look he w oul d observe the
, ,
”
hair and eyes to be much ligh ter .

Man exclaimed the Rabbi fixing his keen black eye ,

u pon Burr ell away from before me ! Guilt and falsehood

,

are on your lip Your eye the eye of the proud C hristi an
.
, ,

quail s before the ga ze of the despo iled and des pised J e w were
you innocent you would stand firm as I do now erect in your
, ,
’ '

Maker s image Do you not tremble lest God s o wn lightn ings

.

blast you ? Did you ever re ad and readi ng believe the C hris , ,

tian story of A nanias and Sapph ira

If Burrell had possessed an atom o f human feeling he would ,

have sunk abashed to the earth and entreated the forgiveness ,

o f the Rabbi whose flashing eyes an d extende d featu res glared

,

a n d swelled with indignation but the only two emotions that

at the time contended wi th in him were cowardice and pride .

Had he the po wer gladly woul d he have struck the Jew to

,

death as a punishment for what he deemed his insolence ;

,

but he feared the protecting and avenging hand of C romwell ,

who never resigned a cherished purpose or a cherished person ,

and whose esteem for the learned Rabbi w as perfectly kno wn ,

and much talked of about the court .

”
You cannot avoid cre di ting me for meekn ess Ben Israel , ,

he said wi thout however raisin g his eyes from the ground

, , ,

( for his blood boiled in his veins though he spoke in a gentle ,

tone
) y ou have come in to my house rated me upon a foul ,

charge and will not permit me to spe ak in my ow n defence

, .

Take a cup of this wine and then I wi ll hear if you can addu c e
, ,
”
i t further proof than that false portrait
, .

The Rabbi touched n ot the pro ffered beverage but w ith ,

drew from his vest sundry letters whi ch he unfolded with a ,

trembling hand : they were the communications he h ad r e

ceive d from the Polish Jew with whose family at Paris h is
,

daughter had re m
’
ained H e stated Burrell s extraordi nary
.

attention to Zill ah during his r e siden ce abroad

,
the frequent
letters that passed betw e en the m under pretence o f a corre
s on den c e with her father h er having re ceived others from
p
E ngland si nce Burrell s return — her total change of manner
’

— and finally her having qui tted his house and his be ing n u
, , ,
112 TH E B UCC A NE E R .

I am about to go forth from your dwelling If you have .

not been the seducer of m y child I crave your pardon in ,

deep humili ty and will do penance in sackcloth and ashes for

,
” “
having wrongfully accused you but he added bit terly , if , ,

you have wronged me and devo ted her soul to destruction

, ,

may the curse of the old Jew enter into your veins and curdle ,

the red blood to a hot and destroying poison l — m ay the

fl o wers o f the spring be to you scentless and revolting — may
the grass wither un der your foots teps ! may the wa ters of -

the valley be even as molten lead un to your parched lips l

maZ
Dog of an unbeliever exclaimed Burrell whose tem ,

per coul d no longer brook the taunting curses of the ol d man ,

“
and whose coward spiri t quailed beneath them hold thy foul ,

tongue lest I pluck it from between thy teeth Had I been a

,
.

circumcised Jew and thou a C hristian I could not have l is

, ,
«

tened with more humili ty and this is the reward of my for

bearance — curses deep and bitter as the waters of th e Dead
"
Sea.

“
They cannot harm if thou art i nno cent I have neither .

broken bread nor taste d salt within thy w alls and now I shake
the dust from o ff my feet upon thy threshold Thy words .

at first were o f honey and the honey comb but now are they -

as gall O thers must deal with thee The prayer o f the

. .

bereaved father was as a tinkling cymbal in thine ears but the

curse — th e curse knocked at th y heart and it trembled O thers
, .

”
must deal with thee .

Manasseh Ben Israel repeated the cu rse with terrible

energy ; then sh aking the dust from his sandals he passed , ,

and entered with his attendant the carriage th at awaited h i m

, ,

at the gate .

B urrell was convinced and humbled by the conviction that

, ,

an irresistible impulse had compelled him to des ert his

sophistry and stand forth in his real character before o n e who
,

had the ear of the Protector and whose religious persuasion

,

had not prevente d his advancement or his being regarded as a

,

m an o f extraordinary mental attainments even in a country , ,

the prejudi ces of whi ch always deeply rooted were at that time
,
-

peculiarly directed against the Jews This people were de .

voted in their attachment to C romwell ; and i t was believed

that they would not have scrupled to declare him the Messiah
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 13

could they have traced h is descent i n any degree however ,

remote to the dwellers in Judah Manasseh had mixed so

,
.

much with C hristians an d had been treated by the Protec tor ,

'

s o completely as an equal that he retained bu t l ittl e o f the.

,

servili ty of tone or m anner and less of the cringing an d s u b ,

missive demeanour that characterised his tribe ; he there fore

,

spoke boldly to Sir W illmott Burrell after a burst of strong ,

and bitter feeling He knew himself protected by the rul er of

.

E ngland and felt undaun ted in the presence of o n e he could

,

easily destroy but then he was a father an d as such impelled ,

by nature to adopt every expedien t that might promote the

disclosure o f a s ecret on which almost h is li fe depended an d ,

which he doubted n o t w as in some shape or other i n the

,
.
, , ,

keeping of h is wily opponent .

“ ”
A pretty scrape m y villanies have brought m e into !
“
thought Burrell as he returned to his chamber : the girl will
,

come over — that stops a wedding Suppose I were to take .

Zillah to wife the ol d rasc al would not give me a m aravedi

-
.

Suppose before I have secured C onstance C romwell listens to

, ,
’
the Rabbi s tale he will forbid my marriage t o please the
,

accursed Jew and I may blow m y brains ou t Suppose I

, .

marry at on cez —i B u t how ? Lady C ecil not many weeks dead

”
I must manage it however he continued pacing the apart
, , ,

m en t while Robin who had ascertained the i mpossibili ty of

, ,

rousing the ill governed menial s from their sta te of hopeless

-

debauchery amused himself by counting the number of times

,

the Master of Burrel l walked up and do w n the room A t .

length finding such dull watching wearisome he ventured to

, ,

enter and inquire if he were to remai n at Burrell House or

, ,
’
return to the Gull s N est .

“
Well thought o n Robin H ays said the knight as if , , ,

roused and not unpleasantly from himself and h is thoughts

, ,

y o u will rest here to night and accompany me to C ecil -

Place on the morro w See to these rioters of whom I must .

,
”
rid my house .

Y ou had better do it then immediately retorted Robin , , , ,

or they will save you trouble by ridding you o f y our

”
house .

True good Robin you are ready wit ted

,
-
.

’
A n d to keep up m y character, I ll back to C ecil Place
,
114 TH E B UCC A N E E R .

this very hour muttered Robin as he closed the door

, ,

there is one there who must not tarry the coming of Sir
‘

”
W ill mott Burrell .

C H A PT E R X I .

h
B u t s u c it is a n d t o u h gh
w e m ay b e ta u h t g
h
T o a ve in C h l ld h OOd e , e re o e w el if n ow , l v k
Y et l if
e 18 u se e s s t l i l l by
r e a s on tau t, gh
l v
A n d o e an d r eas on u p to e t e r ro w g h g
Si n . W D A VE NA NT
. .

AN D , indeed my grave Lady C onstan ce plays with the poor

,

fish in a very sportsmanlike man ner only m ethinks a li ttle , ,

too sh y and a trifle too sensitive ! Marry girl ! what a m ost

, ,

yielding docile and a ffectionate wife you would m ake

, ,

like on e of the heroines in the ancient Spanish roman c es or

such a on e as Judith l — no for y ou would never ventu re
to chop off a man s head Stay di d she so ?
’
or

Barbara you are well read in Scripture history ; and though ,

you ply your needl e so industriously that will n ot prevent ,

your calling to mind some o f the holy women in the Bible, to

”
whom your mistress may be compared .

I Barbara Iverk who had no other duty at C ec il Place than

,

t o wait upon the youn g heiress or assi st in her embroidery ,

w as considered and treated more as a humble companion tha n

a menial ; and Lady Fran ces C ro m well talked j ust as freely
to Mistress C ecil in her presence as if they were per fec tly alone .

N or w as such confiden ce ever abused by the gentle girl She .

moved within her sm all circle like an atten dan t satelli te u pon
a brilliant star silent and submi ssive — yet ever in her
place ever smiling innocent and happy
, , , ,

i h
A m a d w o m th e r e w e r e fe w to prai se ,
v y
A nd e r fe w to o e
”
l v .

Simple an d
singl e minded her soul h ad never be en con
-
,

ta min ated by the idea much less the utterance of falsehood

, , .

E ven to C onsta ntia the fulness of her worth and fidelity w as

,

unknown although the bare con templation of Barbara s ever ’

parting from her was on e of actual pain .

 M
l 16 TH E B U CCANEE R .

fellow , I care not who knows it I like a j est a laugh , tem ,

pered with all rightful modesty I do n o t prim m y m outh .

,

tutor m y eyes into sobriety nor s ay A men like ol d Will s , ,

’

Macbe th to those who say G od bless us !

,
I laugh m y ‘ ’

laugh and look m y look and say m y say though I

, , ,
’

youngest and by God s grace wildes t of his Highness the

,
‘

, ,
’”
Protector s children .

”
Where got you your gay spirit Lady Frances ? said ,

C onstantia rising and stepping towards her

, .

y mother is a discreet matron as need be but m y father ,

w as not always o n e of the gloomy rulers of this gloomy land

he had his w ild days though i t i s treason to speak of them
,

n ow ; and i n sooth he sometimes forgets that young blood

, ,
”
runs swifter tha n ol d How he l e ctures poor Richa rd !
’
The Lord Richard is not cast in h is great father s moul d
he is a gentler and a feebler spiri t ; on e who loves to hear o f ,

o r to read of great deeds rather than to act them

,
Lady
, .

"
F au c on be rg is more like your father .

My sis ter Mary wou ld certainly have m ade a fine man .

’
I t was one o f nature s blunders to convert such coarse clay
into a woman .

She has a noble mind Fr ances though n o t so holy a o n e

, ,
”
as the Lady C laypole .

“
Well dear C onstance you are very good to bear with
, ,

me Suppose now my father instead of sending me here

.
, , , ,

had commanded that I should soj ourn and mystify with that
righteous Mrs Lambert whom he m agni fies into a model of
.
,

holi ness ; what a time I should have passed ! Why the ,

nun s whom th e holy Sexbu r ga placed up yonder had n o t as

, ,
’
much loneliness ; don t you think the pl ace w as admirably '

adapted for an elopement ? I am certain nay you need -

n ot smile — for I a m quite certain that ev e ry on e of the ,

seventy seven m aidens of whom history tells us includi ng the

-

, ,

charming E r m en il da herself fully made up their minds to ru n ,

o ff with the Danes before they came to the isl and I wish .
,

though that your father co u ld be persuaded to consider thi s

,

only a summer residence for i t must be a li ttle d reary I think

, , .

N ot that I feel i t such for you are so kind and j ust as we

,

were be ginning to gro w a little dull or so a fl ou r ish — and ,

en ter “f alter De G uerre u nder the auspices of Maj or Well

,

more H a ha ! ha ! Well i t h as amused me so much H e .

 TH E B U CCA N E E R . 1I 7

and if on e wh o is n o t
‘

certainly is a mo st charming pe rson ,

here were here I should be inclined to tease h im a little by m y

, ,

vast admirati on of this gen tleman By the way Sir Willmott .

,

Burrell h as little reason to thank Maj or W ellm or e for this n e w

i ntroduction though it must be qui te delightful to m ake
either a lover or a husband j ealous Ah I s ee y ou do not .
,

agree wi th me — I did not expect you would ; but do y ou ,

k no w I have taken it i nto m y head that this De Guerre is not

,
”
De G uerre .

Indeed who is he then ?

That C onstantia is exactly what I want to know — an d
, ,

I think you could unravel the m yst ery .

My dear Frances you are a very unaccountable person

,

always playing false yourself you hardly ever give peopl e ,

credi t for being true .

“
Y ou are vastly complimentary Ah C onstance whe n .
, ,

y ou come to Hampton you must learn some court obs er v

,

a u ces When we were children together we spoke trut

.
,

Were we not very happy then

”
We were said Frances drawing a heavy sigh ;
,
but ,

how changed the times si nce t h en ! C onstance those wh o ,

walk along a precipice may well dread falling Gay giddy .

,

as I am C romwell h as not a child who glories in h im more

,

than I do .

A nd well y ou m ay added C onstance whose dignity o f

, ,

soul led her to appreciate wi th as much j udgment as e n th u

,

s iasm , the extraordinary man who commanded the admiration ,

“
not only of E nglan d but of E urope ,
Well may you be .

proud of the most success ful s tatesman the most resolute ,

general the most useful C hri stia n that ever governed a state
, .

B y h is power he holds ou r enemies i n subj ection and gu ides

o u r friends b his wisdom I a m bu t a po or politician yet
y .
, ,

methink s I could almost worship your father for the spiri t

,

and humanity with whic h he succours those poor persecuted

Vaudois who have kept their faith pure as the breath of their
,

nati ve valleys : when I think of this even the conqueror is ,

”
forgotten in the man .

You are a dear noble creature exclaimed Frances as sh e , ,

gazed with admiration upon the animated and expressive coun

te n an ce of her companion ; then encircling her neck and kiss ,

ing her ch ec k with that delightful w arin th of manner w hich

,

1 3
118 TH E B UCCANEE R .

can spring only fro m warmth of fee li ng sh e conti nued I , ,

w ish my love that fl ush were al ways on your cheek

, ,
Y ou .

nourish some secret sorrow , C onstance ; nay I am sure you ,

do and I wil l write and say so to m y sister C laypole who is ,

worthy to be your confidant as well as your godmother though , ,

I am not N ay nay , I know it well : I adm ire but do n o t

.
, ,

quite understand y ou The heavens are given us to hope

.

for and the su n to look upon and — but dear m e ! that would
, ,

be — a simile I vow that sou nded like rhyme ; but here

comes reason in the shape o f our new knigh t A dieu dear
,
.

C onstantia l — Barbara ! that is surely Robin Hays groping ,

among the slopes li ke a huge h edgehog Did you n ot wan t .

’
to consult h im as to the managem ent o f the peewits eggs
”
I n tru th y es my lady replied Barbara rising from a
, , , ,
”
hal f fi nish ed carnation
-
May I go mistress P ,

C onstance assented .

May I go mistress ? repeated Lady Frances mimi cking

, ,
’
Barbara s tone and courtesy in her light he arted gaiety ,
-
.

”
Y es replied C onstan ti a firmly
, I would rather y o u ,

did for I have something particular to s ay to Maj or Wel l

’ ”
m ore s friend .

“
N o w is not that just like C onstance C ecil ?
,
thought
Lady Frances as sh e left the room ,
another would have said
any thing ra ther than the tru th yet is tru th a noble thing :
s omethi ng to venerate as well as love the bes t of virtues ,
”
the wises t of counsellors and the fi r m e st of friends ,
.

C onstance rose from her seat as the C avalier entered but

there w as an expression of deep sorrow over his whole coun
te nan ce that was almost immediately communi cated to hers
, .

What an extraordinar y and u n de fin able tie is that which binds

souls and sympathies together the voice that is heard only ,

by the ear o f affection the look that only on e can under

-

stand the silent thrill of ha ppiness or o f anguish c om m u

-

n i c a ted by a smile or by a sigh ! The world m ay sneer at ,

or m a
y condemn yet most true it is that they who love with ,

the m os t purity and the most truth dr aw nearest to that great ,

Spirit who is the per fection of both

”
I am come sai d De Guerre “ to bid for awhile fare
, ,

well to Mistress C ecil ; to thank her for the kindness I have

recei ved under this roof ; and to as sure h er that i t can never
 20 TH E B U CCANE E R .

w ish i t less ; your eyes veiled by those so ft lashes — well no ,

m ore I will say n o more of th is I tried my p oor skill to .

call you back to l ife and j ust as I succeeded your companion

, , ,

and attendant came in sight Sin ce then this dear memento .

,

h as nestled near m y heart a shield against evil an d against , ,

evil though ts What still so pale ? you must be ill m y

. ,
”
sweet friend he inquired tenderly
,
.

N o Walter n ot in body ; but wherefore should you h ear

, ,

that braid so near y ou ?

Sweet C onstance may I now cal l you by that dear name ?
,

Oh how my heart rebelled against the sound Mistress C ecil !

,
‘ ’

Tru ly 1s lo v e a republican for he does n o t recognise ti tles ; ,

though perhaps i t were better to describe him as a despot

, , ,

acknowledging none that are not of his o w n creation W h y .

should I not wear the braid ? Though n o w an outlawed

m an i t may n o t be always thus ; the time will come when
,
”
m y o w n arm shall win the way to glory an d to fortune .

I doubt i t not I doubt it not ; — but save that

n othing can m ake your fortunes a m atter of i ndi fference to

the friend and companion of your childhood — I can have

n o greater in terest in you nor you in me But why prevent, .

m y saying to m y fa ther that the lost bird i s found ? Methinks

I would gladly know with him the mysteries of your di sap
p e aran ce and the still greater on e o f your con c ealment
,
su ffer
that I tell The C avalier smiled a smile so moody so ,

full of sad expression that she pause d , .

N ot s o ; I cannot explain any thing : perhaps ( if your

wor ds be serious ) the time may never come when I can ex
plai n A s to your father if you ever valued Walter I
.
, ,

charge you even as y ou now value his li fe that you give

, ,

hint to no human being of his existence I am sure you will .

keep m y se cret ; strange as may seem the request still you ,

”
will grant it .

Yet surely Walter you may confide i n on e who sorrowed

, ,

for her playmate with a lengthened and deep grief ; but

,

she slowly added observing th e altered express i on of h is

,

countenance rem ember I can only be to y ou a friend

, ,
.

The words were uttered i n a tone not to be misconceived .

The C avalier understood and felt i t .

Better then that I had gone forth as I was abo ut to do

, , , ,

in ignorance that any here recognised the ruined and outc ast
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 121
/

Walter ! C an th ere be truth i n th e r umour th at one s o ,

young so beauti ful bearing the softened impress of a nobl e an d

, ,

imm ortal mind u pon a brow s o lofty is a willing sacrifice to ,

a coward and villain ? Did 1 n ot hear y ou wi th my ow n ,

ears protest to the Lady Frances C romwell that of your ow n

, , ,

free will you would never marry this Sir Willmott Burrell ?
,

and if i t be s o if you spoke tru th th en who dare compel

, , ,

you wealthy and high born to give your han d where your
,
-

heart is not ? O h you are not the free true hearted girl
, ,
-

that twelve years ago leaped upon your native hills to meet
, ,

the sunshine and the breeze and often alas ! alas that i t ,

should only have been in mere sportiveness declared that

but no matter I see it all and future L ady of B u rrell bid , ,
”
you farewell and for ever .

C onstance replied with tears yet calmly and firmly ,

Walter be not cruel or at least be n ot unj ust You were

, , ,
.

ever impetuous but also ever ready to repair the evil you had
,

done It is ill of you to use s o harsh a word against one wh o

.

has never wronged y ou Alas could you but read m y . ~

heart you would also j udge o f m e otherwise ; but think o f

,

me as your friend your fervent an d fai thful friend I will

n ot p r ove unworthy .

The C avalier was about to reply when Robin H ays w as

:

ushered into the r oom by Barbara who immediately with ,

drew A fter bowing with du e respect to C onstance he w as

.
,

about to whisper into the ear of the C avalier wh o however , , ,

desired him to speak out as he had nought to conceal from ,

that lady The Ranger seemed but little asto n ished at r e

.

c eiving such a command and without further ceremony pro ,

c e e de d.

I did h 0pe s ir that you would have le ft C ecil Place

, ,

before this ; Sir Wilmott Burrell will I am certain arrive , ,

’
within an hour ; and you know i t is the Skipper s earnest
”
desire that you should not m eet .

Robin you told me all this but a li ttle time past and I
,

k now n ot why I am to hear it agai n I have nought to fear .

”
from this Burrell .

I t would be certainly unsa fe were there a possibili ty of ,

his suspecting you for h is A gain C onstantia interrupted

,

herself ; sh e h ad been on the point of betraying her know

ledge of Sir l Villm ott s j ealous and impatient temper ; and
’

,
l 22 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

after a pause she added but there is little danger of that :

, ,

as a bo y he never saw y ou and he mus t respect the friend

,

of Maj or W ell m ore

”
.

A h madam ,
observed Robin he is no respecter o f ,

per sons ; and I s ee no reason why two should meet again ,

”
who have already so roughly handled each other .

”
Where did they m eet ? inquired C onstan ce eagerly .

”
There i s no time to tell the story n o w lady replied , ,

Robin impati ently A s I see you know this gentleman and

. ,

knowing him are too generous not to be interes ted in hi s

,

favour urge I bese ech yo u h is instant departure from C ec il

, , ,

Place Sur ely I can explain every thing as well as he I t

. .

’
w as Dalton s wish
I bitterly grieve to hear that you have aught to do wi th
s o h ol d so bad a man as Dal ton
, said C onstance hastily ; ,

h i s name brings to my remembran c e feelings of undefined

pain for which I can not account I t is long si nce I have
, .

heard o f him bu t something poor Barba ra communicated to

me in her innocence m ade me suspect he had been here Go
, .

the n ; and take m y prayers and ( though nothing worth i t , ,

may be ) my blessing A nd now farewell

, farewell
. at ,
-

least for a time

We must m ee t ag ain C onstan ce s ay only that you wil l ,

s ee me on ce more before
”
B y Heaven ! exclaimed Robin you sta nd dallying ,

here and there is Sir Willm ott himself coming down the
,

avenue at full speed ! Lady I entreat your pardon for m y ,

’
boldness But go lad y go in God s name !
, then an d ,

n ot till then w ill he depart , .

C onstance di d n ot trust herself in the room a momen t

longer A fter briefly collecti ng her thoughts w h ic h had
.
,

laboured un ceasingly to unravel the mysteries that surrounded

th e C avalier she en tered her father s chamber
’
,
H e had been .

evidently su ffering from illness and was seated i n a large ,

easy chair his feet resting upon cushions while the R everend
, ,

Jonas Fl eetw or d read from time to time ou t of sundry pious

boo ks that were placed on a table before him The preacher .

paused as she appro ached and signified his i ntention o f ,

walking forth to meet the man Burrell who b e u n der , ,

stood from the wild youth cal led Robin Hays w as to ar ,

rive ere noon I t was a precious opportunity one not to

.
,
124 TH E B UCCANE E R .

The baronet sighed as if in pain C onstance look ed

, .

anxiously into his face and noted that a cold and clammy pe r
,

S piration stood thickly on his brow .

”
You had better sit down dear s ir , .

N 0 my child I shall be bet ter for a little air let u s go

, ,
”
into the library .

A s they entered the room a scene o f solemn drollery pre ,

sented i tself that a humorous painte r might well desire to

,

portray Kneeling on a high backed and c uriously carved

. - -

chair was seen th e lean lanky fi gure o f Flee tw or d placed

, , ,

within a foot of the sofa on which in the mos t uneasy , ,

manner and discontented attitude s at the Master of Burrell ,

.

The preacher h ad s o turned the chair that he leaned over it ,

pulpit fashion ; holdi ng his small pocket Bible i n his hand

-

he declaimed to hi s single audi tor with as much zeal and

energy as if he were addres sing the Lord Protector and h i s
co urt The e ffect o f the w h ole w as heigh tened by the
.

laughing face and anim ated fig ure of Lady Frances C romwell ,

half concealed behind an India n skreen from which she was

-

, ,

unperceived enj oying the captivity of Burrell whom in her

, , ,

half playful h alf serious moods she inv ariably denominated

-

,
-
,

the false black knight F l ee tw or d inwardly rej oicing at

.
,

the increase of h is congregation o f whose presen ce however , , ,

he deemed it wisdom to appear ignorant had just exclaimed , ,

Has n o t the word of the Lord come to me as to E lisha ,

i n the third year ? and shall I not do His bidding ? ,

”
Thou art a wonder i n Israel doubtless said Burrell , , ,

literally j umping fro m his seat an d that so rudely as nearly ,

to overturn the pulpit arrange m ent of the unsparing minis ter

but I must salute my worthy friend whom I am sorry to ,
”
se e looking so ill .

Perform thy salutations for they are good said the , ,

preacher adj usting the chair still further to his satisfaction

, ,

and after that I will continue ; for i t i s pleasa nt repeating

the things that lead un to salvation .

Y ou would not surely s ir ”

said Lady Frances coming
, , , ,

forward and speaking in an under tone con tinue to repeat -

,
’
poor Lady C ecil s funeral sermon before her husband and
”
daughter P they could not suppo rt i t .

Y ou speak like the seven wise virgins replied Flee t ,

word putting on e of his long limbs to the ground as if to

, ,
 TH E B UCCA N EE R . l 25

desce nd and then as suddenly drawing it back he added

; , ,
’
But the Lord s servant is n o t s traitened ; there are m any
”
ri vers in Judah s o the faithful may drin k at another str eam
, .

”
I wish you would come with m e said Lady Frances, ,

rightly in terpreting the entreating look of C onstantia : or

rather come with u s for I am sure Mistress C ecil has much

, ,

to say to and I have much to hear from y ou : we will leave

, ,

Sir Ro bert and Sir Willmott to talk over the a ffairs of this
great nation temporal m atters must be attended to you ,

know and though sh e looked for a moment at Burrell ,

whose countenance had not yet regained i ts usual suavity

I am sorry to be the means o f depriving Sir Wil lmott of
much neces sary instruction — I have no doubt you will make
up the deficiency to him at some future time .

C H A P T E R XI I .

Th e h at b u d an d h l ome forth b ri ngs

s oo te se a so n t ,

W 1th gr ee n h a th c la d t h e h i ll a d e k e th e val e
,
n
,
Th e igh ti n gal e w i th fe th e rs n e w s h e s m gs
'

n ,

T h e t u r tl e to h er m te h th told th e ta l e
a a ,

So m e r is com e for ev er y sp ra y no w spr i ng s

, .

a: s t a l s» t ae a

A n d th u s I see am o n g th e se pl e asa n t th i gs n ,

E c h e c a r e d ec a y ; a n d y e t m y so r ro w s p r i n g s . S U RR E Y .

IT m ay be readily imagined tha t Burrell remained in a state

’
o f extreme perplexity after the receip t o f Dalton s letter an d ,

the depar ture o f Ben Israel H e s aw there w as now but one .

course that could preserve him from destruction and resolved ,

to pursue it — to caj ole or compel Sir Robert C ecil to pr o

cure the immediate fulfi l ment of the marriage contract between
him self and C onstance This w as his only hope the sheet
.
,

anchor to wh ich he al one trusted he felt assured that if the ,

Protector discovered h is i n famous seduction of the Jewess ,

Zillah h e woul d step in from a twofold motive and preven t

, , ,
'

hi s union : i n that he esteemed both the Rabbi s wisdo m an d

his wealth and was most unlikely to suffer o n e on whom his
,

favour had been bes towed so freely to be inj ured and insulted ,

with impunity and next inasmuch as he en tertained a m ore

,
126 TH E B UCCANEE R .

th an ordi nary regar d for C onstan ce C ecil the ch ild of an ,

ancient friend and the god daugh ter of the Lady C laypole
,
-
.

O f this regard he h ad within a few weeks given a striking

, ,

proof in having selected C ecil Place above m ore splendid

,

mansions and the companionship o f i ts youthful mistress i n

, ,

preference to m any more eage r candidates for such an honour ,

when for certain weighty reasons he deemed a temporary ah

, ,

se nce from the cour t es senti al to the com fort and p r osperity

o f the Lady Frances .

The friendship that h ad su bs isted between the family of th e

Protector and that of Sir Robert Ce cil w as as we have in timate d , ,

not of recent growth the Lady C romwell and Lady C ecil had
bee n friends long before the husband of the former had been
call ed to take upon him the high and palmy state that lin ks
his n ame so gloriously s o honourably — but alas ! in som e
, ,

r espects also s o unhappily — with the history of h is coun try

, , .

When an humble and obs cure individual at Ips w i ch the ,

visi ts o f the L ady C eci l were considered as cond e sce nsions ,

u pon her part to wards friends o f a respectable yet of a much

, ,

inferior rank Tim es had changed ; but he who w as n ow

,
.

a king i n all but the n ame and far beyond ordinary kings in
,

the power to have his commands obeyed as widely as the winds

of heaven coul d convey them r emembered the feelings that

held sway in lowlier yet perhaps in happier days and

, , , ,

although rarely a gues t at C ecil Place he continued a stanch ,

friend to the family to who m he had upon several occasions

, , ,

exte nded the simple hospitalities of Hampton C ourt .

Towards the Lady C onstan ce his sentiments of respect and ,

regard had been frequently and mark e dly expressed W hen .

he beheld the fading beauty o f the mother reviving with added

graces and attraction i n the fair form and expressive coun
te n an ce o f the dau ghter it was with feelings o f pride un u sual
, ,

to him that he remembe red his wife had been among the first
,

to cherish and estimate the promise which the youth had

given and which the coming womanhood of C onsta nce w as
,

surely about to fulfil .

Moreover two sons of Sir Robert had fought and died by

,

the side of the Protector having been sch ooled in arms under
,

his own eye ; and had there bee n no other moti ve for his ih
terfere n c e he w as n o t a man to have loo ked on the dead
,

features of his brave companions, and have felt no in terest i n

128 T H E B UCC A NEE R .

Next to Hugh Dalton no man possessed s o unbou n ded

, ,

and so apparently unaccountable an influen ce over Sir Robert

, , ,

C ecil as Sir Willmott Burrell : he kne w as we have elsewhere ,

s tated many of his secrets and shrewdly guessed at others o f

, ,

m ore weighty import ; while with the ready sagacity of an ,

accomplished k nave he contrived to appear well acquainted

,

w it h m atters o f which he was altogether ignorant but the ex ,

is te n ce of which he had abundant reasons for suspecting The .

enfeebled health and growing in fi rm itie s of the baronet ren

dered him an easy prey to his wily acquaintance who drive n , ,

to his last resource reso lved upon adopting any course that
,

m ight save him from destruction by inducing Sir Robert n o t , ,

only to sanction but command an im mediate marriag e w it h

,

h is daughter .

I n commencing the conversa tion wi th Burrell Sir Rober t ,

peevishly complained o f the annoyance to which he had been

subj ec ted in receiving and accommodating the young friend of
Major W ellm or e although he abstained from the indul gence
,

o f feelings similar to those he had exhibite d in the presence of

his daugh ter He then murm ured bitterly o f sleepless nights

.

—o f restless days of watchings and weariness of hideous

dreams of th e toils turmoils and unfaithful ness of the

, ,

world — the u sual theme o f those who have done nothing to

m erit i ts fidelity ; and as Sir Willmott Burrell looked upon
,

him he marvelled at the change that but a fe w weeks had

,

w rought in h is appearance ; his mind seemed so enfeebled ,

‘

that he deemed it even more altered than his body He w as ‘

.
,

moreover much astonished to find that he dwel t so little upon

,

his recent and most heavy loss for the attachment between
Sir Robe rt C ecil and his wife h ad been remarkable at a tim e
when domestic happiness was even the court fashion But .

here Burrell was at faul t h e knew nothing of the position i n

which Sir Robert at pres en t stood with regard to Hugh Dalton ;
and was therefore ignorant o f the positive peril by which h e
was encompassed : a peril so great and so immediate as to ,

render h im in a degree insensible to the a fflic tion under

, ,

which h e had so recently and so painfully labo ured O ften .

,

i n his dreary night watches wh en sleep set no seal upon h is,

aching lids or when they closed for a li ttle over the s trained
,

and worn eyeballs and then opened in terror at frightful

,

i mages that haunted his fevered fancy often at such times ,

 T H E B UCCA NEE R . 129

had he endeavoured to o ffer u p a thanksgiving that sh e was ,

gone from th e wrath the avenging horrors the approach of ,

which he dreaded a thousand times m ore than death .

The application that had been made to the Protector for

’
D alton s p ardon had been treate d as he expected ; and h is
,

only chance of accomplishing the obj ect of the Buccaneer ,

n o w rested o n the possi bility o f his gaining over certain per

s ons o f the court to exert their i nfluence with C romwell in

,
’ ’
the outlaw s behalf Sir Robert s personal interest did n o t .

extend far but the in fl uence o f h is gold did The Protector

, .

could free himself from outward sinners but he could n ot ri d ,

himself of the more smooth and conse quen tly m ore danger ,

ou s villains
,
generated by the peculiar forms an d habits o f
,

the times T o some of these Sir Robert had secretly o ffere d

. ,

temptation i n every way the stake was large th e danger ,

’
certain ; for he well kne w the inflexibili ty of Dalton s cha .

r a c te r and that he would not fail to perform that upon which

,

he h ad resolved I t had occurred to him more than once to

.
, ,

consult B u rrell o n the subject but a dread of his future son s

i h l aw for which he could not accoun t had hitherto prevented

-

, ,
’
his nami n g to h im the Buccaneer s desire to be a legalis d e

comman der His anxiety to carry h is point now however

.
, ,

overcame hi s timidity and he resolved to speak to h i m on the ,

m atter at the very time the knight had decided on addressing

,

the b aronet — under equal weigh ty circum s tan ces on the

subj ect o f his marriage U nfortunately for Sir Robert C ecil .

,

he was the first to unfold his plan ; and thus gave th e wily
Burrell another an d a firmer hold than he had yet possessed .

A fter repinings over his heal th and m urmurs against man ,

kind h ad somewhat lessened that secret and consuming m isery

,

that enveloped him as with a winding sheet he inquired if Bur ,

rell had lately encountered a m an they must bot h remember ,

Hugh Dalton a bold but reckless fellow who had played

, , ,

cavalier buccaneer and a thousand other characters i n turn

, ,

al l characters in fact save that o f a cowar d

,
Burrell re plied .
,

i n the negative ; but confessed h e knew the man had bee n

u po n the coast ; cunningly adding that since h is a ffections had ,

been s o entirely fixed upon C onstantia he had given up every ,

connection every id ea that might hereafter draw h im from a

, ,

home where all blessings would be united .

Sir Robert w as never insensible to h is daugh ter s praise ’

K
13 0 TH E B UCCANEE R .

but i t did not prevent his continuing the subject He stated .

that Dalton was a clever experien c e d seaman —that his

,

knowledge o f foreign seas and foreign a ffairs in general migh t

be ma de m ost useful to government if government w ould ,

a vail i ts e l f o f such advantages

’
o — that the Buccaneer was a
bitter thorn in the side of the Protector as he had be en known ,

to convey malconten ts to E ngland as well as to ship them ,

o fl ; — that his Fire fl y might be termed a meteo r o f the

'
-

waters n o w here now there shining like a blazing star

, , ,

stealing like a moon beam —in the Texel in the Thames i n

-

, ,

the Baltic o r the Black Sea,

as occasion required every
w here when mischief was doing n owhere when i t was to be ,

remedi ed : —that all this evil might be avoided by gi ving

Dalton a pardon and the command o f a C ommonwealth ship
that he would accept indee d he ( Sir Robert )was sure that he
,

d esired such an employment and that it would be a grievous

, ,

t h ing for the state if an arrangemen t could not be made to

purch ase hi s fu ture services and his good conduct at so smal l
a price .

Burrell w as astonished but saw clearly enough that there

,

must be some covert motive for such deep and unaccountable

anxiety he dex terousl y s e t forth the various arguments that
’
m ight be urged by governmen t against a man o f Dalton s
c haracter ; the ill example the dangerous precedent of on e so,

circumstanced taking his p l ace amon gst honour able m en and ,

s o forth mooting a variety of points in order that he mi ght ,

j udge of Sir Robert s obj ect by his manner of answering oh

’

j ec tion s .

The baronet was caugh t in the toils he betrayed so much

anxiety so much p anti ng eagerness i n the Bu ccaneer s behalf as
,
’

to satisfy Burrell that hardly any thing less than a cause of life
a n d death could create such in tense earnestness on s uch a subject
-
i n a person who see m ed balancing between this world and th e
n ext Various surmi ses and conj ectures which he h ad heard in
.
,

former times strengthened the opinion Having assured him

, .

self u pon this point he ventured upon on e o f those daring

,

falsehoods that h ad hitherto been the principal means of his

success he assured the baronet in the m ost solemn manner , ,

that he had a secret way on e which he coul d not explain but

, ,

i t w a s a species of promise for service perform ed of winning ,

from C romwell the desired pardon and appointment that

13 2 TH E B UCCANE E R .

impress this conviction on Sir Robert s mi nd ; but in h ei

’
’
'

n ot

l ast moments she extorted from him the promi se that he would
never urge the union This was as we have seen all she .
, ,
“
could obtain and Sir Robert was conten t to keep the word
”
o f promise to the c ar without referen ce to the sense
,
.

Burrell seemed perfectly satisfied with the permission h e

h ad ob tained and left Sir Robert in the l ibrary expressing his
, ,

determination to speak to Mistress C ecil on the subj ect that

eve ni n g .

A nd he will make her a very a ffectionate husband mused ,

Robert after his departure h w can he do otherwise ?

Sir ,
o

But I do n o t interfere in it I know she h as no other attach

’
me n t ; and my C onstantia s sense o f duty will oblige her to
love her h u sband O h yes she will be happy
.
— happy
, ,

happy h e sai d as if the repetition o f the word co u ld give

,

birth to th e feeling .

I t w as the clear and balmy twiligh t ; the s u n had left th e

west in glory and th e delicious breeze of evening w as mingling
,

among the young leaves of the shrubs and trees all appeared
in contentme n t and at peace when the Lady Frances C rom ; ,

well and C onstance sat together upon a mossy bank but a fe w ,

ya r ds distant from the house ye t so overshadowed by vener ,

able trees that not a turret n o r a vestige of the building was

,

to be seen The spot they had cho sen for their resting place
.
-

was known as the Fairy Ri n g : i t was a circular m ound ,

gi rdled by evergreens which in their turn were belted by

, , ,

forest trees that spread in an opposite direction to the

-

house into what was called the A sh C opse The dark green
,
.

o f o u r w inter shru b the spotted lauru stinus was relieved by

, ,

the golden tassels o f the labur num j ust opening into bloom ,

the ha w thorn con tended for beauty and perfume wi th the

d elicate blossom s of the purple lilac while its modest sister ,

the white sent forth her pal e green leaves and deli cate buds
, , ,

o v er a bed o f double violets

W h e re al lth e e ar t hb
e ne at h h v
th e e a e n a o e , b v
h li pi g
T e e m d W i t th e e ar es t s r n o f j o y o u s ou t ,
’
y h
Suns hi n e , a n d fl o w e rs , a n d v g
a u e, a n d V r i n o e ig l v .

The quiet and sereni ty o f the e v ening communicated its

t on e and character to the buoyant mind of Lady Frances
C ro m w ell .

“
I am sober as the twilight C onstance be cause I have , ,
 TH E B UCCANEE R ‘
. 3 3

be en thinking o f sober m a tters Alas ! alas w e hav e all ou r

.

’
twilights .Youth s twilight is so ft and perfumed as that
which hovers over us tran quil ,
but i t is the tranquilli ty
o f hope . The twilight o f m iddle life is methinks nearly , ,

allied to that of an aut u mn evening — doubts hover an d come ,

upon us as the falling leaves ; the wind whistles like the

wailing of departing days there i s but little tranqui llity then ,
because th e hope that is left is enough to agitate by i ts vain
drea m s but not to soothe Wha t shall I say of the twiligh t
, .

o f age ? I do not like to thi n k of i t its tranquillity a p

pears to me so closely linked wi th despair .

N o Frances not despair : i t i s only the m oody and ab

, ,

s tr a c te d silence of guilt that clai m s such awfu l kindred I .

think age more beautiful — more hope giving than yout h ; -

though its beauty is far di fferent and its hope subli m e in , ,

stead of j oyous A sk the most prosperous

. the mo s t for -

tu n ate man in existence o n e o n whom the eyes of the whole

World are turned in ad m iration and i ts attendan t, envy ask

such a one if h e would l ive over his life again an d he will ,

answe r N o,

This speaks badly for the happiness of life said Lady ,

Frances .

“
I do not think it does replied C onstantia
,
every evil
has either a re m edy or an anodyne : bu t unfortunately we , ,

are more prone to dwell upon evils than upon blessings yet
this shoul d make us less satisfie d with earth as we draw ne arer ,

heaven .

C onstance are you a philosopher

,

N o for I a m a woman 1 and what is call ed philosophy

1s sadly at war with both ou r men tal and ou r bodily e n dow

ments I have heard there are lands in which certai n persons

.

think they confer honour upon ou r sex by mixing us more up ,

with the h ustle and turmoil o f the worl d methinks they

”
would strangely pervert our natures .

I agree wi th you C onstance : let men have all the pub

,

lic and women all the private business of l i fe to manage and

, ,
’
my word on t the balance of power i s wi th us O ur tongues
, .

have enough to do at home without chattering in high places

,

and as to ou r arms mine could ill wield battle axe or broad -

sword . I suppose these people of whom you speak would

invent a new sex to look after domestic matters whi l e we ,

K 3
13 d TH E B U CCAN E E R .

assist i n the broil and the battle ! We shall lose o ur influ

‘

’
ence depend on t the moment we are taken ou t of our
, ,

sphere w e shall lose caste as women and be treated with

-
,

contempt as men What I like C onstan ce is to have m y

.
, ,

o w n dear little way by m y o w n pretty little m an oeuvres

, be -

hind the bush thrust another into the breach and then if , ,
”
evil arise the man gets the blame while I retreat in safety
, , .

Then the Lady Frances would take on e of the other sex

as a shield
“
Yes C onstan ce they would do as well to be shot at as
,

oursel v es you know , .

“
Ah Frances you are n o true woman un less if there were
, , , ,

real danger you would thrust yourself between i t and the life a
,

thousan d times more precious than your ow n Suppose for .

,

i nstance that sudden danger menaced the life o f

,

Hush dear C onstantia ; th e idea of such an event is

,

enough I t is easier to sacrifi ce life when the sa crifice is

.

”
demanded by a ffection than to resign on e selfish indulgence, .

A h because in the fi rst case we gratify our selves ; in

, ,
”
the second others , .

You are a mental chemist C onstance : but here comes ,

th e maid called Barbara with hoo ds and cardin als signifying , ,

”
that the dew is falling though we feel it not , .

I sought you mistress said Barbara,

all over th e , ,

h ouse for Sir Willmott Burrell advised me that he wi shed to

,

spea k with you in the oak parlour if i t so please you or in , ,

”
the library m y honoured master was present .

Did my father to o want me

N o madam he sai d he wou ld go to h is ch amber for a
, ,
”
little before the evening meal
, .

The young ladies followed by Barbara entered the house

, , ,

an d as Frances C romwell pressed C onstantia s hand she felt i t

’
, ,

clammy and chilling cold : she would have spoken but while , ,

arran gi n g the necessary words her friend with a more than , ,

usually dignified deportmen t entered the parl our I t w as a dark , .

,

dim room the frettings and ornaments of black carved o ak

,
.

”
Tell Sir Willmott Burrell I await him here she said to ,

Barbara while passing the threshold

, .

Frances C romwell over whose mind a feeling o f terr or was

,

imperceptibly stealing would have remained but C onstan ce , ,

i ntimated that she woul d receive Bur rell alone .

13 6 TH E B UCCANEE R .

hand then the devotedness of my future li fe the enti rene ss ,

o f my attachment — the depth of my love ,

Sir Willmott Burrell interrupted C ons tanti a th e g r as s , ,

’

my m oth er is n ot y et a nd w ou l d y ou ta lk
u pon s g r a ve gr een
f
o l ove
For a m oment the k night w as silent .

Reasons reason s that I will explain herea fter make m e ,

exceedingly desire that the contract should be immedi ately

”
fulfilled N ay lady do not start and shudder
.
,
he con , , .

tinned taking h er hand that hung listlessly and without

, , ,
“
m otion within h is grasp ;
, even should you n o t love as
I do affection will make y ou all mine ow n withi n a li t tle
, ,
”
time .

Believe it n ot Sir Willmott said C onstantia at leng th

, , ,
”
disengaging her hand I can never love you .

Men have been accustomed in all ages to hear simple , ,

truths o f such a description declared in so simple a manner

, ,
.

Ladies rant and protest that they abhor and abominate

,
or ,

they weep and shriek and call the gentleman odious or

, , ,

horrid o r some such gentl e name which the said gentleman

,

perfectly under stands to mean any thing he pleases ; but

’
C onsta ntia s perfect truth the plain earnestness of that brief ,

se n tence carried conviction with i t ; and the handsome Bur

,

rell paced three or four times the length of the oak parlour be ,

fore he could su fficiently bring h is mortified feelings under

necessary subj ection he then resumed his seat .

I think otherwise ; a woman can but require devo ted

a ffection constant watch fulness and tender solicitude Al l,
, , .

all this will be yours Besides a daughter o f the house of .

,

C ecil would not break fai th I could c om m a n d your hand .

”
I only solicit i t .

Sir Willmott you well know that whe n the unhappy , ,

contract was entered into I was of tender age too young in , ,

deed to comprehend its nature O ught y ou i n honour to

, .

urge i t on me whe n I frankly tell you by word of mouth what

, ,

my demeanour must have informed you long long since tha t , ,

I can n ever love you

Y ou have said i t once lady ; and the sentence cannot be ,

pleasant to the ears of your a ffian c ed husband The turmoils .

of the times and the service I so largely owed to the Pro

,

te c tor have called me much from home ; and though m y

,
 TH E B UCCAN EE R .

heart lingered here I was forced away by duty to the state

,

surely you would n ot love me less because it was rigidly per

formed
You would not wish m e your wi fe said C onstance in , ,

a faltering tone resolving to m ake trial o f Sir W ill m o tt s

,
’

generosity while her strength seemed to rise wi th her honest

,

purpose , y ou would not wish m e your wi fe f or not only

”
do I not love you but I love another
, .

N o w Sir Willmott Burrell did n o t start from his chair nor

, ,

did he pace up and down the polished floor h e fixed h is ,

-

eyes u pon C onstantia as if he would have read withi n her

,

soul w h o she loved but th e expression gradually change d,

from a deep and perilous curiosity to on e of fi rm resolve , ,

until drawing his breath between his set teeth he sai d slowly
, , ,

and deliberately but in a restrained tone as if the voice cam e

, ,

from the fiend within him ,

I am sorry for i t C on stantia C ecil for it cannot preven t

,

y our being mine mine and by the G o d that hears me , ,

mine only and for ever

,

C onsta ntia rose slowly from her seat and sai d in a fi r m , ,

voice, I did not come here to su ffer insult sir , .

She walked across the room with so dignified a step tha t ,

she had n early reached the door before Burrell acquire d su ffi ,

cient cour age to stay her departure He laid h is hand on her .

arm as she touched the lock but she shook it off as coolly yet , ,

as firmly as the apostle threw from h im the viper into the

,

flames at Melita Burrell however had too m uch at stake

.
, ,

tamely to relinquish his purpose H e spoke in a constrained .

Voice and said

, ,

I entreat you to remain ; if i t be n ot for your ow n goo d,

’
it will be for your father s that y ou do s o .

’
The mention of her father s name at once commanded h e r
atten tion She desired Burrell to speak on w i thout however
.
, ,

resuming her seat He pa u sed for so considerable a time that

.

s h e at length observed
,

I wait Sir Wil lmott and w ill wait pat iently if it be

, , ,

necessary : but m ethinks your silence n ow i s as uncourteo u s

”
as your speech a brief while since .

I t i s because I feel for y ou Mistress C ecil feel for you , ,

acutely that I thus hesitate

, I would spare you the pain I .

know my words must inflict and there fore, once more, calmly ,
13 8 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

but energetically implore you to consent to the immediate ful

,
s

fi l m e n t o f the con tract existing between us .

This is trifling sir I desire that you su ffer me to pass

,
.

forth I might have known you had nothing to sa y that con

.

cerned my father ; and as to myself if you could be mean , ,

enough under such circumstan ces to acce pt my hand I can

, , ,
”
n o t b e base enough to give it .

A fi ne sentence ! exclaimed Burr ell sneeringly I , .

make h ol d to tell you lady I care not so much as you may , ,

imagine for your a ffections which I know you have s u fii cie nt ,

principle to recall and bestow upon the possessor o f that fa ir

,

hand whoever he may be N ay look not so wrath ful for I

, .
, ,

know th a t which would make your proud look quail and the ,

heiress of C ecil rej oice that she c ould yet become the wi fe of
Sir Willmott Burrell
C onstantia trembled She had never before listened to .

such language and she felt there m ust be something appall

ing in the motive that could give it utterance A lthough her .

hand rested o n the m assive lock of the door sh e had not ,

power to turn the handle If looks could wither the Master .

,

o f Burrell would have shrunk be fore her gaze

; yet he bore
h er in dign an t frown with more audacity than he could have
.

believed he possessed .

I f your communication concerns my father speak s ir if , ,

she pau sed and he took up the sentence ,

If not C onstantia casts me off for ever Yet he added

M
, , ,

m a tone of insulting pi ty I would spare your feelings for , ,

you have been a most a ffectionate child .

”
Sir interrupted C onstance
,
I h 0pe I am too true a ,

daugh ter to hear those ta unts with patience : your in sin u

a tion s I despise and I de
fy you to utter an accusation against
,

him that could summon a tint of crimson to my cheek !

But I could speak th a t which would mak e the red ch eek
pale lady
, what think y ou of of of URD E R ?
’
C onstantia s eye gleamed for a momen t like a meteor and , ,

th en it became fixed and faded her form assum e d the rigidity

o f marble an d at each respiration her lips fell more and more
,

apart The villain beca m e alarmed and tak ing h e r han d

.
, , ,

would have led her to a seat ; but his touch recalled her to
hersel f : she darted from him to the centre of the room and ,

there her ar m extended her fine head thrown back every

, , ,
140 TH E B UCCANE E R .

token that she entreated silen c e ; a moment after wards sh e

addressed h im in broken and disj ointed sen ten ces .

I can hardly give i t utterance and when I think upon

it I know not why I should intrude so vile a falsehood on
,

your ear my father but Burrell seemed so real so fearfully

, ,

real in what he said that I tremble still and my voice com e s

, ,
”
heavily to m y lips She paused for breath and pressed her
.
,

clasped hands o n her bosom .

Sir Robert imagining that sh e allud e d to her m arriage,

,

which he knew Burrell must have been urging upon her,

replied ,

M y dearest child k n ows that I have not pressed her

u nion but Sir W 1ll m o tt is so anxious so attached and ,

I must sa y that m y grey hairs would go peacefully to the

,

g rave were I to see her his wife I a m almost inclined to .

think m y C onstance capricious and unjust upon this point

but I am sure her o w n good sense her regard for h e r ,
.

father
”
Merciful powers ! interru pted C onstance w il dl y and ,

is it really possible that you knew of his propos al ? A y ay, ,

you might have known th a t but you could not know the ,

awful the horrid threat he held out to me if I did not comply

, ,

with his demand a

y de m a n d for an imme dia te union
,
”
I t was very imp ru dent very useless in fact said th e , , ,

baronet peevishly his mind reverting to the proposals of the

, ,

Buccaneer which he belie v ed Burrell had communicated to

,

C onstantia very absurd to trouble you with the knowledge

he possesses o f my a ffairs that is strange wooing — but -

good will ari se from it for y ou will n ow knowing the great

, , ,

the overpowering motive that I have for seein your unio n g

accomplished
’
The baronet s sentence remained unfinishe d for the look ,

and m anner o f his daughter terrified him She had risen .

,

from her knees and stood her eyelids straining from her
, ,

glaring eyes that were fixed upon her father w h ile her
, ,

h an ds w e r e extended as if to shut out the figure upon which

,

she still gazed .

I t is all madness moon struck madness she exclaimed, -

,
“
and her arms drop ped at either side as she spoke ; some
c r u cl w itch e r
y surrounds me but I will speak and break the
'

spell Father you are not a murderer ? you di d n o t mur

.
,
 TH E B UCCANEE R .
141
der and she too whispered a name as if i t were one
, , ,

that the breath of heaven should n o t h ear .

The baronet s prang from his seat as if a musket ball had ,

e ntered his heart .

”
T i s false 1 he exclaimed there is no blood upon m y
’

hand — look at it — look at i t ! Burrell h as no proofs

”
unless that villain Dalton has betrayed me he added in a , ,

lo w er tone but I did not the act the blood is o n h is head , ,

and not on min e C onstance my child the only thing o n

.
, ,

earth now that can love me do not curse do not S purn me, .

I ask not your sacrifice that I may be saved ; but do not

,
-

curse me do n o t curse your father .

The hau ghty baronet fell humbled to the dust at h is , ,

’
daughter s feet clasping her knees i n awful emotion but
, ,

d aring not to look upon the face o f his o w n child .

I t would be as vain to attempt as i t would be impossi ble to ,

a nalyse the feelings o f that high souled woman during m o

,
-

ments of such intense misery She neither spoke nor wept ; .

n or did she assist her father by any effort to arise ; but , , ,

without a sentence o r a word folding her mourning robe

.
,

around her sh e glided like a ghost forth from the chamber

, .

IVhen sh e returne d her step had lost its el asticity and her
, ,

e y e its light she m o v ed as if in a heavy at m osphere and her ,

father did n ot dare to look upon her, as she seated herself by

t h e chair he had resu med .

She took his hand and put it but did n o t press i t to her
, , ,

lips he thought he felt a tear drop upon his burning fingers ;

.
0

bu t the long hair that fel l over her brow concealed her face .

H e was the first to break the dreadful and oppressive stillness .

I would speak with Burrell : there must have be en

treachery O f him self believe me he knew nothing : but I
.
, ,

w as so taken by surprise that I did not consider ,

S top sir I entreat you interrupted C onstance “ There ”

, , , .

is now no motive for consideration I have j ust seen a n d .

,

promi sed to be the wife of Sir Will m ott Burrell within this
week and three of its days are already past : h is silence ,
”
and y ou r h on ou r are secured .

The unhappy man was powerless and subdued he hid his

face amid th e pillows of the chair an d wept bitterly C on , .

s tance walked to the window : the beams of the silver moon

d welt with more than usual brightness on the tops and around
142 TH E B UCCANEE R .

the foliage of the trees that encircled the Fairy Ring; where ,

but an hour before her footsteps had lingered w ith her friend
, .

All around seemed buried in the most profound stillness not '

th e bay o f a dog nor the hum o f an insect disturbe d the r e

, ,

pose that slept ou every plant an d flower and cove red the ,

earth as with a garment Suddenly a nightingale fl e w past .

the window and resting its breast on the bo ugh of an old

,

thorn poured forth a delicious strai n of melody C onstance

,
.

leaned her throbbing forehead against the cold stained glass -

,
’
and the tenderness of the wild bird s un taugh t music pene
trate d her soul large tears flowed dow n her cheeks and her ,

seared heart was relieved for a little o f its overwhelmi n g , ,

’
horrors She then returned to her father s side ; and again
.

taking his hand in hers said in a calmer voice , , ,

Father we have both need o f consolation

,
let us read
”
and pray together .

It is to o late to attempt deceiving y ou longer C onstance ,

y e t I would fain explain

N ot now father We will pray
, . .

A nd you will be happy ; or if not you will not curse ,

him who h as wrought your misery ?

I have too much need of blessing Bless bless you m y .
, ,

father Let us n o w seek consolation where only i t is to be

foun d .

But may I not speak with Burrell ? I want to know

Father ! I en tr eat y ou peace I t is n o w useles s ; the , .

die is cast for me for us in this world useless all ,

except the aid th at under any tri als we can ask and receive
, ,

from Heaven .

My child call me your dear father as you were won t ;

, ,

and let your soft lips press upon m y hand as there were fond b

"
n ess in them You said you would not curse me C onstance
.
, .

Bless bless y ou my dea r father !

, She ki ss ed his hand
,

and having lighted the cha m ber lamp read one of the peni ,

te n tial psalms of the King o f I srael when sin and the wretch ,
.
,

e dn e ss that follows sin became to o heavy for hi m to bear .

,
”
A nd now let us pray said C onstantia conce iving tha t , ,
’

her father s mind was more composed let us o ffer u p peti

”
tions to the source of all mercy and forgiveness .

I cannot pray he said ; my lips may move, but DE?

“
,
”
heart is h ardened .
144 TH E B UCCA NE E R ,

Why suppose they wished y ou a young pretty maiden

, ,

as y ou are to understand that I a small deformed dragon

, , ,

regarded you only a little like the beginning of love they

, , ,

would Robin s tooped as he spoke and plucked a rose bud ,

-

that had anticipated s u mmer they would give you this

bud But suppose they wanted y ou to believe I loved you very
.
,

m uch indeed they wo u ld choose y ou out a full blown rose

,
-
.

Barbara I cannot find a ful l blown rose but I do n o t love

,
-

”
you the less for that .

Give me the bud Robin whether or no ; i t is the first of

, ,

the season — m y lady will be delighted with i t — if indeed , ,

any thing can deli gh t her !

I will give i t you to keep ; not to give away even to ,

your lady A h Barbara ! if I had any thing worth giving

.
, ,
”
ou would not refuse it
y .

A nd can any thing be better worth giving or having than , ,

”
sweet flowers ? said the simple girl O nly it pains me to .

pul l them — they die so soo n — and then every leaf that falls ,

away from them looks like a reproach,

Should you be sorry if I were to die o ne of these days ,

” “ ”
Barbara inquired the Ranger
,
like one o f those flowers ? ,

Sorry ! have I ever appeared ungra teful Robin When ,

first I came here you used to be so kind me

,
indeed you ,

are always kind only I fear lately you are displeased with
me about something or other You have avoided me — are .

you angry Robin ? ,

Indeed I am not ; n or do I forget how often y ou have

”
driven away the shadows that used to co me over me .

“
A nd do you — I mean do you es teem me as much as ,
”
ever ?
Robin looked earnestly into her face and then taking her ,

h and gently replied :

,

I do esteem you as you term i t more than ever ; but I

, ,

also love you When a little helple ss thing I t ook you fro m
.
,
’

your father s arms : I loved you then as a parent would lo ve

a ch ild Whe n Lady C ecil took you u nder her care and I saw
.
,

y ou but seldom my heart leaned towards the daughter of my

,
’
best friend with a brother s love A nd when as I have just .
,

said the sunlight o f your smile and the gentleness of yo u r

, ,

young girlish voice dispelled much melancholy from my

,

m ind I thought — no matter w hat

, But now the case is .
 m
1 m B UCCANEER . 145

altered you se e i n m e a mere lu mp a de formed cre ature a , ,

being unseemly to look upon , a wretch

”
Robin H ays you wrong yourself interrup ted Barbara
, ,

I do not see you thus nor think you thus The raven i s
, .

not a beautiful bird nor hath i t a sweet voice yet i t was

, ,

welcomed and beloved of the prophet E lij a

So it w as Barbara but why,
because i t w as Iu s ef u l
to him in h i s hour of need Thin k y ou that i n the tim e of h is .
,

triumph and prosperity he would have taken i t to his bosom , ,

”
as if i t had been a dove ?

I do not s ee why he shou ld n ot sh e said : God is so good , ,

that he never takes away one beau ty wi thou t bestowing another ;

’
a n d the raven s glossy w ing might be to some even m ore , ,

beautiful than the purple plumage of the dove at all events ,

s o excellent a man would not be chained by mere eye beauty -

which after all passeth qui ckly

, ,Thoug h I think it was .

very uncourte ous of Mr F l e e tw or d to s ay in my hearing .

, ,

Robin that th e time would come when Mistress C onstance

,

would be as plain favoured as old Dame C ompton whose

-

countenance looks li ke the worm eaten cover of Solomo n -

’ ”
Grundy s Bible .

Ah , Barbara y ou are a good girl : but suppo se I w as as

rich as I ought to be be fore thinking of marrying — and sup
p osing y ou came to the knowledge o f your father and he ,

agreed — and supposing Mistress C ecil di d n o t s ay nay

supposing all this
Robin paused and Bar bara wi th her eyes fixed on the
, ,

groun d commenced pul l ing to pieces the ro se bud he had

,
-

given her .

”
Supposing all this, Barbara p

Well Robin ? ,

D o y ou think Barbara, you would then , marry me ?

I never thought of marriage seeing that I am too young , ,

an d, withal too inexperienced but there i s on e thing

, ,

”
I knew i t interru pted the Ranger in one of his su dden
, ,

bursts o f bitterness ; I might easily have known i t— Be auty

and ugli ness Fool ! fool ! to imagine that a girl could loo k
.

on m e without loathing ! There — go to your mistress go to ,

”
your mistress and m ake gay sport of Robin H a ys !
,

Th e so ft eyes o f Barbara filled w ith tears ; s h e made no

L
!
146 TH E
.
B UCCANEE R .

reply but pros ecu ted her attack on the ro se bud so v ig orou sly
,
-
,

that nough t but the ste m rem ained in h er fingers .

Y ou need not have torn that r ose to bit s befo re m y fa ce

A y trample on its leaves as y ou do on my h eart !
,
Why do
you n o t go to your mistress ?
Y ou are very w aywar d Rob in time s moot h , at ‘ “ '

one ,

other times an d without cause ru gged as a path th rou gh a

-
, ,

thorny common I can only pray that the Lord ma y te ach y ou

‘ ’

better than to misinterpr et my w ords an d mock a poo r girl “

,
”
who never entertained a thought to y on r di sadvan t age .

She could say no mor e for the large ro und tear s forced th eir,

way down her cheeks as sh e turn ed towards the h ou se with a

,
’
bowed head and a feeble ste p But Robin s m ood h ad agai n .

I beg your pardon Barbara : fo rgive m e ; and think t hat

, ,

i f my mind sometime s takes a cr ooked turn i t i s the fau l t of ,

'

m y dan mabl e body

’

Do not swear ; it is the pro fa n en ess of your w ords and,

'

I fear m e too truly of your life al so that hurts m e Oh

, , .
,

Robin ! do tell me w h o my father is th at I m ay fin d h im , ,

and have some he art to lean u pon that will not al wa ys cause
me tears My lady is ever sad and you are eve r way ward
.
,

and uncertain : I am a double o rphan ; and were i t n ot for

th e c onsolati on afior ded me by be tter tho ughts sho uld be m os t
’
,

m i serable .

Forgive me girl forgi ve me ; but e v er y one alludes to

, ,

this cursed deformity and it is ill to be ar ,

s aid Robin ,

walking by her side .

I never alluded to it never even though t of it r eplied , ,

Barbara sobbing : ,
if th e voice and th e e ye i s kin ch and ,

above all if the face become familiar it is one al l one wh ether

, , , ,

the features be for me d acco rding to beauty or o therwise I '

n ever thou ght o f l ooking i n to little C ri s p s face wh en h e

' ’ ‘

licked my hand but now I on ly felt that th e cre atur e loved ‘

me .

“
C risp is n o m ore a beauty than h is mas te r obse rved ,

Robin patting the dog w h o leaped to th e cares s

, but y ou
,

c an n ot like him as Well as black Bl anch e or Bright eye your ,

-

m istress s si l ken favo urites who sho w th eir teeth at the poor
’

fellow when eve r h e approach es th e entrance

Bright— eye is a trifle concei ted I grant bu t B l anche is ,
148 TH E B UCCAN EE R .

’
impelled her foo ts teps with extr aordi nary alacrity ; woman 8
a ffection or c uriosity both of whi ch are o ftentimes at w ar
, ,

with her reason obliged her to look back as she entered th e

,

pos tern and then s h e enj oyed the li ttle tr iumph of observing
,

that Robin remain ed on the same spot gazing after her .

’
I don t think I sai d any thing very unk ind to him sh e ,

thought whil e passing al ong the gallery I have a great .

mind to go back and as k hi m if he wan ted to send any m es

sage to m y lady I did not give the poor fellow time to speak
— I ought not to se rve any on e so What would good Mr Flee t . .

word say if he knew I spoke so snappishly to any fellow

,

christian Keep your cold nose away from my hand Master

-

Bright eye y ou forget h ow y ou behaved to m y friend C risp

-

yesterda y .

Just as she arrived at this point of her soliloquy she s tood ,

before a window overlooking the part of the garden where

,

s h e had left Robin He was no lo nger there ! and the fond

.

heart of li ttle Barbara at once forgetful of the harshness an d ,

waywardness of her early friend was only aroused from pro ,

found reasoning u pon her own unworthiness by a smart tap ,

o n the shoulder from the fair hand of Lady Fran ces C rom

well .

Pretty Barbara in m edi tation she exclaimed bu t

this is no time to ask upon what or why What is the mean .

'

ing o f your lady s sudden res olve ?

What r e solve madam ,

Why a resolve to marry Sir Will mott Bur rell withi n th is

,
”
week .

Barbara w as panic struck : she remain ed silen t for a few -

minutes and then clasping her hands implored L ady Fran c es

, ,

to do she knew not what .

Ah sh e will die my lady she wi ll die for who could , ,

live married to such a man ? He is indeed a fearful h us , ,

band for such a on e My lady I know she does not love him .
,

she never did never could I have heard her say in h er .

slee p
? ”
What good maid asked Lady Frances eagerly and with
, ,
’
her usual curiosi ty But the habi tual in tegrity of Barbara s
.

mind was awakened : wi th tears and sobs she replied ,

What I must n ot as a true girl repeat I crave your , , .

pa rdon my l ady but it woul d ill become me to speak of wha t is

, ,
 TH E B u CCAN E E R . 49

onl y dear dear lady if you love m y dea r mis

, , ,

tres s if her life be dear to y ou prevent if possible thi s , ,

”
marriage .

C H A P T E R XV .

h b id
A n d t e m es e a la e a i re h e s a w , di f
l f
S ta n dm g a o n e on oo te i n o ul e ar ra ; f y
To w om h h i lf
m se h e h a st rl y ra w , d id d
T o w e e t th e c a u se o f so u n co m e ra , ly f y
d p h
A n d to e a rt t e m , i so be h e m a y f . SP E N S E R .

Tu n Lady Frances C romwell was not likely to keep secret ,

grief or any thing else she had the power of di sc losing : forth
with she proceeded to assail C onstance C ecil with a torrent o f
exclamations and expostul ations to support which n o in con ,

s ide r abl e degree o f philosophy was requi site The i ntention .

,

however sanctified the dee d and C onstance for some time

, , , ,

only pressed her hand i n reply at length she sa id ,

Y ou see m e deare t Frances at present under much de

,
s
,

pression : a dark cloud is over me ; but I entreat y ou , ,

heed it not I am abo ut to do what is righ t and n o t even

.
,

the commands o f h i s Highness your father could prevent i t , , ,

if indeed y ou were to act upon the hi nt you have gi ven m e ,

and procure hi s interfere n ce My fate is sealed irrevocably

. ,

sealed ! A nd do you wonder that I tremble at the change I

am about to undergo the awful chan ge from m aid to wife ?
, ,

Barbara goo d maid let me see no more o f tears but smiles

, , , ,

as i n past times An d now I entreat you both sweet friends

.
, ,

( for that humble girl h as a h e ar t form ed by tendern es s fo r

what is more exalted friendship ) leave me Y ou m y ,

.
,

dear Lady Frances will to d ay for my sake and for h is h e

,
-

, , ,

as much as po ssi ble with my father ; he must grieve at this

parting — i t is but natu ral — and y ou girl there go to , ,

y our embroidery .

’
Barbara looked into her lad y s face sei zed her hand and , ,

pressed i t alternately to her hea rt and lips .

I will si t in yonder nook dear mistress ; I will n o t t urn

,

to w ards you n or speak nor breathe

, , y o u m ay fan cy me a
s ta tue so silent s o immovable w ill rest yo u r l ittle Barbara
, , .
15 0 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

Blanche and Bright eye and even th at black wolf hou n d r e -

,
-

mai n in the chamber and why n ot I ? A m I less faithful , ,

or less thoughtful than a dog ? and would you treat me

, .

worse ? Besides dear lady your w edding clothes ! There

, ,
-

is not a satin or a silver robe n o r farthi n gale nor cardinal , ,

not a lone ostrich plume that is not o f si x fashions past !

-

Good m y l ady if it is to be you must wed as of a right be

, , ,

comes your high descent My Lady Frances can w c ll speak .

o f this and as there is no time to send to London now her ,

tire women woul d help me to arrange the robes necessary

-

”
upon such occasions .

Peace Barbara ! I mean to dress as well befits this

,

bridal ; so trouble n ot thysel f as to the tiring ; but go m y ,

”
gentle girl go go , ,
.

“
A nd m ay I not c rou ch y ond e r whe re s o o fte n I have .
,

read to you and sung the li ttle ballads that you taught me for
,

pastime
O r those that poor Robin taught you ? I wish that
y oung man Barbara had
, a m o re settled way of life ; for , ,

despi te his awkward form there is much that is noble an d ,

elevated about him Howe v er make no haste to wed and .

, , ,

above all guard well your heart ; kee p a keen watch over
,

your a ffections — ay watch them and pray pray ferv ently , , , ,

”
poor girl that they may go to h i m who may have your hand
,
.

”
They s h a l l go said Barbara rising to follo w Lady, ,

Frances w h o had abruptly left the chamber to conce al her

,

tears ; I woul d not marry a king I mean m adam , a go ,

vernor — if I did n o t love him Why should I ?

Why should you indeed m y kind Barba ra There go , , ,

and tell your master tell also Sir Willmott that I have much , ,

to do and much to thi nk upon so that to day they must ex - ~

cuse my absen ce I t is an aw ful thing this m arriage — an

.

unknown or at least uncharted course to enter on

, to virgin
”
minds she murmured as her faithful attendant left the room
, , ,

at all times full o f doubts ay even when love is pilot and , ,

the fond soul brim ful l of h 0pe I too who had such dreams
-
.
,

o f happiness o f good and holy happiness

, the interchange
o f k indness the mutual zeal the tender care
, the look so , ,

vigilant and gentle so full of pure blandishment , the ou t

pouring o f thou ghts on thoughts the words so musical be ,

c ause so rich with the h ear t s tru th ; and so I fancied lov e ’

15 2
’

TH E B t C CA N E E R .

music with th e nightingale Would you like to hear them; .

m adam
N ot j ust now Barbara : but leave ou t m y hood Did
, .

my father agai n as k for me ?

N ot since mistress Mr Flee twor d is with him
,
Bar . . .

bara left the room .

I cannot tell why my lady sh e said earnestly to Lady , ,

Frances whom she met in the vestibule

, I cannot di vine
the reason but this bridal h as to me the semblance of a
,

funer al God shield us all from evil there is a cold death

.

like chill throughout the house I heard ( though m y .

-

lady I do not believe i n such superstitions ) but I heard the

, ,

death watch tick

-
tick ti cking as plain as I hear the ol d ,

clock now chime seven An d I saw I w as wide awake

yet I saw a thin misty countenance formed as o f the white ,

s pray of the salt sea wave so sparkling so shadowy yet so

-
, ,
,

clear come between m e and the moon be ams and raise i ts

, ,

hand thus O h mercy. mercy mercy

, s h e shrieked ,

so as to startle the Lady Fran ces and then as hastily ex ,

“
claimed La ! madam to think o f the like ! if it i sn t that
, ,
’

li ttle m uddy nas ty C risp who has foun d m e ou t ! I will

, ,

tell you the rest by and by, m adam only I want to turn ,

this little beast i nto the shrubbery that he may find h is ,

master .

A t another time Lady Frances woul d have rallied her for

accompanying inste ad of dismissing C risp to the garden but
,

a weight of sorrow seemed also to oppress h e r H er u sually .

high spi rits were gone and sh e made no observation but r e , ,

treated to the library .

A few momen ts after the occurren ce of th is li ttl e incident

'

,
”
C onstance w as seated on the bank in the Fai ry Ring pon ,

de ring the dread change that had ta ken place since the pre
vion s night .

The evening as Barbara had expressed i t w as fine but

, ,

sober The lilac and the laburnum were in full blossom but
.
,

they appeared faded to C onstantia s eyes ; so completely are ’

even our senses under the control of circumstances Sorro w .

is a sad m y s tifi er turning the gr een leaf yellow and ste eping
,

y oung roses in tears She had not been l ong seate d when a
.
,

step a separating of the branches and Walter De Guerre was

,
,

at her feet C onstance recoiled from what at heart she loved

.
,
 B UCCA NE E R l 53
‘

TH E .

as it had been a thing sh e hated ; and the l oo k and motion

coul d not have be en u nnoticed by her lover .

I h ave heard, Mistress C ecil — hear d all ! that you -

are about to be married married to a man you despise

about to sacrifice yoursel f for some ambitious view o
some
mad resolve some to me incomprehensible determination
A nd I swore to seek you ou t to s ee y ou before th e fatal act ‘

had it been in your ow n halls and to tell you that y ou will

never again feel what happiness is
I know i t interrupted C onstance in a voice whose ,
“
music w as solem n and heavy as her thoughts : Walter I ,

know it well I never shall feel happy

. never e xpect it
an d i t would have been but humanity to have Spared me thi s
meeting unwished for as it now is Y ou , of all creatures in
,
.

this wide wide world I would avoid

, , Yes Walter avoid .
, ,

for ever Besides she continued with energy

,
what do ,

you here This place this spot is no more safe from h is ,

intrusion th an from yours I f you loved if you ever loved me,

.
,

away ! A nd oh Walter ! if the knowledge — the most true

, ,

m ost s ad knowledge that I am miserable

,
more mi serabl e
than ever you can be be any soothing to your spirit take it .
,

with you only away away put the broad sea between u s
, ,

n o w an d for ever ! If Sir Willmott Burrell sl ept with h is

fathers the sleep of a thousan d dead I could never be yours ,
.

Y ou seem astonished and so w as I yesternight

,
but i t is
true true true so put the broad sea between us

q uickly Wa l ter
,
n ow , and for ever

The C avalier looked as i f he un derstood her n ot or though t ,

her senses wandered : at last he said But why need y ou with , ,

a fortune to command and a spiri t to enj oy whatever i s bright

, ,

or beautiful or glorious
, w h y should y ou fetter your free
-

bor n will ? There is a cunning mystery about i t C onstance ,

( C onstance shuddered and hi d her face lest i ts expression

, ,

s h oul d betray something of h er secret ) a mystery I can

not solve : confide i t to me and solemnly I swear n o t only
, ,
’
n ever to divulge but to peril with my good sword m y heart s
, , ,

richest and warmest blood in any cause that can free y ou

,

from this bad man N or do I expect aught of you in return

.
,

nor any thing ask save that y ou may be happy wi th any any
, , ,
”
but this I cannot speak his hated nam e .

C onstance was too agitated to reply U nder present cir . .

 54 TH E B UCCANEE R .

she would have gi v e n worlds n ot to ha ve seen

c u m s tan c es ,
Walter and having seen him sh e kne w not what to s ay or
, , ,

h o w to think or act : the p ainful stru ggle she endured de

r ived her of th e powe r o f ut te rance
p .

It is not for my sel f I spe ak C on stan tia tho ugh n o w I ,

need not tell you that the love of boyhood h a s never been
banished fr o m my bos om Th e reme mbran ce of th e h ours we
.

spent togeth er be fore a kn owledg e of the world before a chan ge

, ,

in the constitution o f our country shed its malign influence , ,

not over our h earts but over ou r des tinies

,
th e remembran ce
of those hou rs h as been the blessing the soli ta ry blessing o f , ,

my exi le i t h as been the green oasis in the dese rt o f my exist

ence amid the turmoil of battle it has led me on to victory ,

amid th e dissipatio n of th e royal co urt i t h as preserved m e ,

fro m tai nt The remembrance of C onstance like the nigh t

.
,

star that cheers the m ariner on the wide sea h as kept all holy ,

and hope ful fee lings around m y heart telling o f h ome m y ,

early home an d its enj oymen ts

, of C on s tance the little af ,

fe c tionate but h igh smi led girl

, th e
-

”
Stop ! i n terr up ted C onstance w ith an agoni sed ex ,

pression S top 1 conj ure you ! I know what yo u were

,

going to sa y ; you were about to repeat that whi ch my m othe r

loved to call me your wi fe She di d not mean i t in mo ckery ,

though it sounds so now like a knell from the lower earth

,
.

B u t o n e thing Wal ter on e request I have to mak e — y ou

, ,

pray s ometi m es the time h as be en whe n we have prayed

together — when n ex t you pray thank God that s u n is dead ,

How ! thank God that my kind and early friend that

your mother is dead ! repeate d th e young man in a voice of ,

aston ishment .

E ven so Wal ter , Y ou wo ul d not see h er s tret ch ed upon

.

the rack would not s ee her expose d to tor tures such as at

.
, ,

n o very distan t period the sai nts o f ou r ow n church endured ?

,
”
would not se e her to rn limb from limb by wild horses ?
Heavens C onstantia are you m ad exclaimed Walter
, ,

terrified at her exci ted and distraught manner .

“
I am not m ad sh e replied i n a changed and subdued
, ,
“
tone ; but do not fo rget ( an d l e t it be on your knees ) to
thank Go d that my moth er 18 dead ; and tha t the cold cla y
presses the temples whi ch if they were alive woul d thro b
, , ,
”
and bur n as m i ne do now .
l 56 TH E B U CCA N E E B .

Hold coward in terru pted the C avalier grinding th e

, ,
“
words between his te eth Lady I entreat you to retire ; . ,

this is no scene for you — nay but you must ! ,

“ Touch her not exclaimed Burrell the brutality o f h is
, ,

vile nature fu lly awakened at perceiving Walter atte mpt to

take her hand touch her not though y ou are doub tless ,
"
the youth to whom her heart is given .

” “
F orbe ar sir ! ej aculated C onstance ; if you have the
,

spirit of a man forbear ,

Oh then your passion has not been declared by words

, ,
”
you have spoken by actions 1 he retorted with redoubled
acr i mony .

The reply to this gross insult was made by the point o f De

’ '
G uerre s sword resting o n Burrell s breast .

Defend yourself o r di e like a vile dog thun dered the

,

C avalier and Sir Will m ott was obliged to stand on his de

,

fence .

The feelings of the woman overcame those of the heroine ,

and C onstance shrieked for help when she beheld th e com ,

ba ta n ts fairly engaged in a feud where the shedding of blood

appeared inevit able Her cal l was answered but not by words
.
,

scarcely more than three or four thrusts had bee n ma de and

returned when a stout gentleman clad in a dark and tight
, ,

fi ttin g vest strode nearly between them and clashed the

, ,

tough blade of his broad basket h ilted sword upon thei r more -

graceful but less substantial weapons so as to strike them to

, , ,

the earth Thus without speaking word or farther motion

.
, ,

he cast his eyes fi rs t on the one the n on the other st ill hold
, , ,

i ng their weapons under more however by the power of his , , ,

countenance than o f his arm , .

Put up yo u r s w ords he said at length m a l o w stern ,

voice put up your swords he repeate d ; then seeing ,

’
t hat , though Burrell s rapier had leaped into its rest De ,
”
G u erre retained his unsheathed put up your swor d sir ! , ,

he said again i n a loud tone that sounded awfully through the ,

still twilight and then stamped upon the ground wi th force

,

and energy : the air is damp I say and good steel should , ,

be kept from rust Young men keep your weapons in their

.
,

scabbards until God and your country call them forth then
,

d raw according to the knowledge accordi ng to the faith that

”
is in ye but a truce to idle brawling .
 wn n B UCCANE E R . 15 7
”
I woul d first k now who i t is demanded Wal ter still i n , ,
’
fierce anger who breaks i n upon u s and commands us thus P
, ,

Have you s o soon forgo tten Maj or W ellm or e young man ,

replied the stran ger in his harshest voice I little thought

that he of the E nglish graft upon a French stock would ha v e
carried such brawling into the house o f my ancien t friend .

Sir Willmott Burrell I lamen t that the fear o f the Lord is not
,

with you or you would n ot use carnal weapon s so in di scrim i

,
- a

n atel : go to and think what the Protector would sa di d

y ,
”
y ,

he find you thus employed .

But sir said De Guerre i n no degree overawed by the

, , ,

imperati ve manner of M aj or W ellm or e I at least care n o t , , ,

for the Protec tor nor am I to be b affled of my j ust re venge

,
”
by any of h is o fficers .

l V ou l ds t fig h t with me then P inquired the Maj or, wi t h,

much good temper and placing hi mself between the Oppo ;

,

neuts .

I f it so pleasure you repli ed the youth abating not a j ot

, ,

of his determination ; w hen I have m ade this treacherous

and false fellow apologise to the Lady C onstance and after ,

wards to me for his unproved and unprovoked words

, .

During the parley C onstance had remained fixed and im

,

movable but a new feeli ng now seemed to animate her as ,

she approached and clinging to Maj or W ell m ore s arm for

’

, ,

suppo r t spoke in an audible bu t tremulous voi ce

, ,

Walter I entreat I command y ou to let this m atter rest

, , .

I shall not debase mysel f by condescending to assert what Sir ,

Will mott Burrell ought and does believe that I came not
,

here to meet you by any appoin tment I s ay h is heart tells .

him at this moment that such a proceeding woul d be on e of

, ,
”
which he knows I am incapable .

If any reflection has been made upon Mistress C ecil ,

observed Maj or W e ll m or e I will be the first to draw steel

,

in her cause Sir Willmott explai n this matter — Yo ung sir

.
,
”
.
,

h e continued noting Wal ter s ire an d impatience

’ ’

,
a soldier s ,
”
honour is as dear to me as it can be to y ou .

Burrell felt and appeared exceedingly perplexed 5 but with

his most insinuati ng manner and a tremulous voice he r e , ,

plied :
Mistress C ecil will I hope allow for the excess of af
, ,

fec tion that gave rise to such needless jeal ousy On consider . .
 B UCCANEER
‘

15 8 TH E .

ation I percei ve at once that sh e would not could not act

, , , , ,

o r think in any way u nworthy o f herself He bo w e d pr o

'

fou n dl y as he spoke to C onstantia w h o clung still m ore close ly

, , ,

to Maj or W ellm or e s arm and could hardly forbear uttering

’

the contempt sh e felt ; at every ins tant her truthful n ature ,

urged her to speak all she though t an d knew to s e t Burrell at ,

defiance and hold him up to the detestation he meri ted : but

,
’
her father and h er fathe r s crime the dreadful thought sent
,

back the blood that ru sh e d s o warm ly from her heart in icy

coldness to its seat and the high souled woman was compelled -

to receive th e apology with a drooping head and a spirit bowed ,

alm ost to breaking by inten se and in creasing anguish .

An d you are satisfied with this exclaimed the C avalier ,

striding up to her you C on s tan ce C ecil are satisfied with

, ,

this But by Him whose u nquenchable stars are now shining

i n the ir pure glory ov er ou r h eads I am not ! —C oward !
,

coward ! and liar ! i n your teeth Sir Willmott Burrell ! as ,

such I wi ll proclaim y ou all throu gh h is maj esty s dominions ’

by word of mouth and dee d o f sword

Walter Walter ,
ex claimed C onstance clasping her ,

h ands .

I crave your pardon L ady said Burrell without alte r

, , ,
“
ing his tone ; bu t do n ot thus alarm yourself : m y sword
sha ll not agai n be drawn upon a low and confirmed mal ignant .

”
Sir turning from his opponent and addressing the stra n ger
, ,

heard you not h o w he applied th e forbidden ti tle of majesty

to the man C harles Stuart shall I n ot forthwith arrest him
for high tre ason ? — runneth not the act so formed for the ,

renou ncing and disannulling of the pretended ti tle of the late

man s progeny ?
’

Perish such acts an d their de viser s shouted the C avali er ,

losi ng all prudence in the excitement of th e m oment Le t

the lady retire while we en d this quarrel as becomes men
,

H eed him n o t heed him not I implore I en treat you !

, , ,

excl aimed C on stance s i nking to th e earth at the feet o f Major

,

W el l m ore by whom the hint of Burrell was apparently n u

,

noti ced the lion takes not advan tage o f th e deer cau ght in
’
the h u nter s toi ls a n d he is distraught I know h e is
, ,

I am not distraught Miss C ecil though I ha ve su ffered

, ,

enou gh to make me so what care I for acts formed by a pack

of regicides
160 TH E B U CCA N E E R ;

A nd now ,
said C onstantia as her head fell o n th e bosom
,

he is in the lion s den — fully and for ever

’

o f her friend ,
”
d estroyed ! w as exhauste d : it was long ere she
again spoke.

s un o n T H E r m sr VO LU EM .
 M
TH E B U COA N E E R . 16 1

V OLU E THE S E C ON D .

C H A PT E R I .

d b f f il
T h e o u t o f u tu re oe s e x e s m y r e s en t j o y , p
h
A n d w i t m e w ar n s to s u n s u c s n a r es h
h
A s t r ea te n m i n e a n n o ; y
fl h d d h
F o r a s e o o n o w o t fl o w , an d s u j ec t a th b fi d oth ebb ,
d if
W t h w o u l n ot b e , R e as o n r u e , o r l d
d
W i o m w e a v d th e w e b
s
’
.
Q UE E N E mza n am
'
.

W H I L E the headstrong C avalier w as confined in the strong

room o f C ecil Place he had ample leisure to reflect upon the
,

consequences of his rashness and to remember the caution he

,

had received fro m Maj or W ell m or e on the night of their first

mee ting to be guarded in his expre ssions where danger ,

might arise from a single thoughtless word He surveyed the .

apartment with a careless look as if indi fferen t whether i t ,

were built o f brick or of Portland stone gl an ced upon the ,

massive bars o f the iron framed windows and scarcely

-

served that th e walls were bare o f tapestry and that dampness ,

and decay had m ottl ed the plastering into a variety of hues

and shades of colour His lamp burned brightly on the table
.

the solitary but j oyous light seemed ou t of place ; he put i t

'

therefore aside endeavouring to lessen its c fle c t by placing i t

,

behind a huge worm eaten chair over which he thre w his

-

cloak Thus almost in darkness with a mind ill at ease

.
, , ,

brooding on the events of the day which had perhaps perilled ,

his life although life had now become of little value we leave
, ,

him to his melancholy and self reproachful thoughts an d -

hasten to the chamber of C onstance C ecil .

I t has already appeared that an early and a close intimacy

had subsisted betwee n her an d Walter De Guerre but we
must leave i t to Time the great developer to explain the cir
, ,

c u m s tan ces under which it originate d as well as those by whic h ,

i t was broken off .

L ady Frances C romwell h ad le ft h e r friend i n what sh e

1
11
l 62 TH E B UCCANEE R .

considered a sound slumber ; and sought her dressing roo m -

only to change her garmen ts so that she might sit with her ,

dur ing th e remainder o f the night Barbara however had .

, ,

hardly taken the seat the lady h ad q u itted whe n her mistre ss ,

half arose fro m the be d and called her by name i n s o holl ow ,

a voice that the poor girl started as if the sound came from a ,

sepulchre .

The night is dark Barbara she said but heed it not ;

, , ,

the good and the innocent are eve r a pure ligh t unto them
selves Go forth with courage and wi th faith even to th e
.
,
’
Gull s N est C rag ; tell Robin Hays that Wal ter De Guerre
i s a prisoner here and that unle s s h e be at l iberty before sun
, ,

rise he may be a d ead m an as surely as he is a ba nned o ne ;

, ,

for some covert purpose lurks under his arrest Tarry not but .
,

s e e that you proceed discreetly and abo v e all s ecretly I t is a , , , .

long j ourney at this hour ; the roa n pony is in the park and ,

easily guided he will h e ar you along quickly ; and for

securi ty for you a re timid Barbara take the wolf ,

hound .

’
B arbara h ad long known that a ser van t s chief duty is obe
die n ce yet she would j ust then have done erra nd to any o ne
,

rather than to Robin Hays she ho wever repli ed ,

Please ye m istress the roan pony is easy to guide if y ou

, , ,

happen to be go ing the way h e likes and that is ever from th e

, , ,

park to the stable from the stable to the park otherwise like
, ,

the Israelites of old he is a sti ff necked beas t whom I would

,
-

rather eschew than commune wi th A nd the wolf hound my .

-

l ady behaves so rudely to li ttle C risp ho ldi ng him by the thro at

, ,

i n an u nseeml y fashion and occasion ally despoiling him of a ,

fragment o f his ears toes or tail as it pleasures h im that I

, , , ,

h ad rather take bla ck Blanche if y ou permit m e she can

”
soon find C risp or Robin ei ther .

A s you pleas e Barbara ; only silence and h as te n

,
.

” ’
My mistress thus r an Ba rb ara s thoughts as she wende d
,

o n her way through th e nigh t is a wonderful lady so goo d , ,

’
so wise so rich et so unh appy I wouldn t be a lady for the
y , ,

world it is hard fate enough to be a woman a poo r weak , ,

wom an without strength of limb o r wisdom o f head ; and

, ,

withal a fond heart yet afrai d and ashamed to show its fo n d

, ,

ness If I was my lady and my lady I instead of sending

.
, ,
’

my lady to tell Robin Hays to let the poor gentleman out I d ,

 164 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

expatiated on the i nteres t sh e took in th e cause of th e C avalie r

‘

had Robin perm itted her but sh e saw he was too much dis ,

tressed at th e magnitude o f the information to heed the de

tails however in teresti ng they might ha v e been at any other
,

time .

’
But I don t un ders tand it at length m urmu re d Robin ,

I can t see i t : h ow could he poss ibly su ffer Sir W illmott

'
’

B u rrell to place him in confinemen t

”
I t was not he at all replied B arbara ; i t w as Maj or,

W ellm ore an d he is at the Place now

”
.
,

Death and the devil exclaimed Robin at the sam e ih ,

stan t p res sing his ba c k against the wall beside which he stood
it instantly gave way and Barbara w as alone alone in that
,

wild and most dreary looking plac e - .

She summoned Blanche but Blanche was far away over the ,
’
clifl s exploring under Cr isp s guidance the n ooks and in tri
’

, , ,

cacies of the hills and holl ows She would have called still .

louder but h e r qui ck eye disc ern ed not now a sh adowy figure
, ,

but Sir Willm ot t Burrell himself w ithin a di s tan ce of two or ,

three hun dred yards and approaching towards her She w as

,
.

concealed from his sight by a proj ection of the cli ff : but this
she never considered ali ve only to the feelings h is ap pearance
,

at on ce sugges ted She had noted the spot where Robi n had
.

disappeared and urged by terror flung hersel f against the

, , ,

sam e por tion of the wall with such success that it gave way , ,

before her replacing itself so suddenly tha t in an i nstant the

, , ,

light o f the bright stars in the blue heaven s w as shut o u t and ,

she stood in total darkness within th e recess that had so mys ,

te ri ou sl y Ope ned to rece ive her .

When sh e became a li ttle collec ted sh e di stinctly heard the ,

sound o f voices at no great distance and groping about in the ,

same di rection discovered a narrow fli gh t of s ta irs which she

, ,

im mediately descended imagining that she was following the ,

course which Robin had pursued Her progress was soon .

arrested by a d oor which she attempte d to shake but in vai n

, ,

she le aned against i t ho w ever or rather sank down upon the

, ,

steps worn ou t by fatigue of body and anxiety of mind She

, .

could not have lain there a mo ment when the door opened and , ,

Robin literally spr ang over her in his haste to re ascend She -
.

starte d from her position o n pe rceiving before her the well «

remembered figure of the Buccanee r who w as abo ut to mount ,

 TH E B UCCANE E R . 165

al so evidently with
,
as much eagerness, though with le ss acti
vit than Robin Hays
y, .

The sight of a stra n ger at their m ost secret e n tr an ce even ,

’
though that stranger was a woman sent Hug h Dalt on s hand ,

to the pommel of his sword but it w as as quickly stayed by ,

’ ”
Robin s cry of It is Barbara , .

The Bucc aneer had j us t time to catch the fainting for m of

his daughter in his arms an d the wild and reckless seaman
,

was so overpowered by the unexpected me eting that h e ,

though t not of i n quiring how sh e h ad obtained ad m i ttance .

We have observe d that women i n the inferior ra nks of socie ty

continue m u ch briefer time in hysterics swoons and such , ,

like than the highbor n and well educated who kno w how to
, ,

m ake the most o f all matters of the kind Barbara rapidly .

revived and as rapi dly urged Robin to hee d her message and
, ,

to take her away informing him in the same breath that s h e

, ,

had pushed agai nst that portion o f the w all W here he had s o
s trangely disappeare d bec au se sh e had seen Sir Willmott Bur
,

rell approa ching th e spot wi th determined sp eed .

”
Listen at the secret d oor exclaimed the Buccaneer , .

Whe n he cannot fi nd you above be will seek you at th e ,

only entrance he knows of : I need not say answer not the ,

”
s1 n .
g
”
Robin Robin ! ej aculated Barbara
, take me oh take , ,

m e wi th y ou — You are not surely going to leave me in , ,

this horrid place and with a stra nger to o

,

Poor Dalton what painful and powerful emotions c on

vu l s e d his heart and features “ a stranger
! — a stranger,
i ndeed to h is own child
,

Robin quitted the place without replying to her en treaty

and when the Buccaneer spoke it was i n that low and broken ,

voice which tel ls of the soul s agony ’

.

”
Why call me s tranger ? h e sa id approaching and ten , ,

de rl y taking her hand ”

M
ou h ave seen m e before
y .

’
Yes good sir the night previous to m y dear lady s death
—it is an ill omen to se e strangers for th e first time where
, ,

there is death I thank you s ir I will not sit May I not

.
, ,
.

go after Robin ?
Then you prefer Robin to me
So please ye sir I have known R obin a long lon g time
, , ,

a n d he kno w s m y father : perhaps you too may kno w him, , ,

3
l 66 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

s ir ; you look o f the sea and I am sur e m y fathe r is a sailor

,
.

"
Do you know my father ?
The gen tle girl forgetting he r na tural timidi ty under the
,

i nfluen ce o f a stronger prin ci ple sei ze d th e han d of th e Buc ,

c aneer and gazed into his face wi th so ea r nest and so bese ech
,

ing a look that if Robin h ad n ot retu rned on th e instant th e

, ,

Skipper wou ld ha ve be tra yed the se cret he was so anxious to

preserve until ( to u se h is own exp re s sion ) he w as a fr ee man ,
”
able to look his o w n child in the face .

He is at th e ent rance su re enough said Robin but , ,

i t will occu py hi m longer to climb the rocks tha n i t did to

d e scend them we can take the hollow path and be far on ,

th e r oad to C ecil Place before he arri ves at th e summit .

B ut w hat can we do wi th he r She m us t not longer

”
b reathe the air of this pollute d nest argued Dal ton all the , ,
“
father o ve fl o w in g at his heart ; if we delay Burrell may see ,
”
her : if so all is over , .

I can creep alon g the earth like a m ocking lapwi n g s h e ,

replie d L et me but o u t of this plac e I can hi de in some o f

.
,
”
the cl i ff ho les -
any where ou t of this and sh e whispered , ,
“
Robin away abov e all things away from that fearful
'

,
”
man .

T o C ecil Place at once then C aptain the delay o f hal f ,

an hour may seal h is doo m I will place Barbara in a n ook .

of the old tower wher e nothing comes but bats and mice an d
, ,

as it overlooks the paths s h e can see from i t the road that ,

Burrel l takes and so avoid him when returning

, .

Dalton looked at Barbara but for a momen t then suddenly ,

clasping her with rude energy to his bosom he darted up the ,

s tairs holding open the door at the top so that he migh t see
, ,

her fort h in sa fety .

The terrified girl passed tr emblingly befo re him and won

dered n ot a little at the strong interest the wil d s eaman m ani
fe s te d towards her O nly one way of accounting for it
.

occ urred to her simple mind — that h e had known her father
the idea w as stren gthen e d when she heard h im murmur , ,

Thank God l sh e breathes on ce m ore th e un con taminated air

o f heaven He strode a fe w hasty steps forward then tu rne d ,

back and said emphatically to Robin

,
,

Place her i n safety as y ou h 0pe for salvation ,

A nd am I to stay by m yself i n this horrid place R o ,

168 TH E B UCCA N EE R .

that Rou pall might ser ve hi s purpose even better than Robin
H ays for he w as bo th a strong and a desperate m an and he
,

bade the old woman send him forth telling her at th e same
time and in a signifi cant tone that he was well acquainted
, ,

w ith the talen ts an d character of her guest .

The fragment of the tower i n which Barbara was perched

was a small proj ecting turret room standing o n the top of a -
,

buttress and had been doubtless u sed in the e arly ages as a

, , , ,

species of sentry box from which a soldier could comma nd a

-
,

view of the coun try an d the coast I t w as with fee li ngs of .

extreme terror that she perceived Burrell and R ou pall close

beneath her standing so as to be concealed from the obs er v
,

ation of any passenger who might go to o r from the dwelling .

She drew her dark cloak over h er head and face leaving only ,

an Opening to pee p through anxious to avoid by every , ,

means in her power the hazard o f a discovery She c onl d , .

gather from the conver sa tion between the two that Burrell ,

w as des cri bing to R ou pall something that he must do and ,

o ffering him a large reward for its completion she listen e d

eagerly and heard them freq uently s peak of C ecil Place and
,

Walter De G uerre H er attention however was soon drawn.

, ,

away by the ap pearance of a third person unseen by the

others creeping round a projecting c orner like a tiger about ,

to spring upon its prey and then crouchi ng close to the ear th ,
.

The form w as that o f a slight youth clad in a ti ght fi tting ,

-

doublet and vest and i t wo u ld seem armed only with a dag

, , ,

ger w hich however he ca rried unsheathed and so openly that

, , , ,

the moonbeams dan ced u po n its polished poin t as lightning on ,

a diamond whenever he changed i ts pos ition in h is hand

,
‘

( which he di d more than once ) He crep t ou so silently that .

neither were at all aware o f his approach but continued tal k ,

ing and bargaining as before Barbara felt that danger was at .

hand and yet had she the inclination s h e had not the power
, ,

to speak but sat breathlessly and tremblingly awai ting th e t e

,

sult Suddenly but stil l silently as though th e fi gure were

.
, ,

a phantom and the dagger air drawn the bo y ros e from th e

,
-

ground and held the weapon as if irresolute whether to

,

strike or not The manner in whic h he stood fully convin ced

.

Bar bara Ive rk that Burrell w as the obj ect o f some i n tended
attack she tried to shriek but the vo ice choked in her
throat A s rapidly as this m ysterious being had risen from
,

.
,
 TH E B UCC AN E E R; 169

he san k in to h is former crawling atti tu de and disappeared , .

A ll thi s occurred in much less time than h as be en oc cu pi ed in

relating it and the poor maiden almos t th ought she had bee n
,

deceived by some supernatural appearan ce She w as soo n .

aroused from her pain ful state of voiceless terror by the war ds
of Burrell who now spoke m ore loudly than at first
,
.

I will give hi m h is liberty this very nigh t w hic h of ,

course under the circumstances I have mentioned he cann ot

, ,

fail to consi der a m ost deep obl igation an act of di sin

tere s ted generosity I will give it hi m sec retly o f course ;
.
,

and you meet h i m on h is exit As we go al ong I will .

,

settle the where — and then the m atter is eas ily con
”
cluded .

Very easily for you doubtless retorted Rou pall , y ou ,

had ever the way master of keeping your ne ck ou t of the

, ,

noose How much of the coin did you say

.

Barbara did not hear the reply .

’
Why it s only one more Is be young ? .

Yes .

’
I don t like young customers I t s a charity to put the .

ol d o u t of the way for be th ey ever s o well o ff they must

, ,

be si ck and weary of the world But the young I don t .

’

”
like it master
, .

Pshaw ! it s only saving him in time from that whi ch

’

give s ol d m e n trouble ; and life can go but once : besides I ,

will not stand for th e matter of a fe w broad pieces I care -

.

not if I make the su m hal f as much more provided it be d one ,

s afely .

Will y ou give me your note of han d to it

Do y ou take me for a fool P or did you ever kno w m e
”
to break m y word ?
I never took ye for the first Sir Willmot t and as to the , , ,
’
other we ve had no business between us lately
, H al f as .

much more you said ? ,

Half as much more .

Well i t is but on e and then

, ah ah ah , I ll r e
’

for m and turn gentleman N o d— n it I ha te gen tlemen .

, , ,

they re so unprincipled but you must dou ble — double or

’

”
qui ts .

Jack R ou pall , y ou are an unconscionable scoundrel .

17 0 TH E B UOCAN E E R .

By the lady mo on then the re be a pair o f us

-
, , .

Bu rrell muttered some reply that Barbara did n o t bear bu t ,

again the grating vo ice o f Ro u pal l a sce nded .

’
Dou ble or qui ts Lord ye needn t be so touchy about a ,

lit tle w ord of familiarity such fellow ship m akes all men
”
e q ual .

“
We ll then double if s o i t must be ; onl y remember
, , ,

R ou pall th er e is some difference between the em plo yer and

,
”
the em ploye d was the kni ght s answer A n d the high born
,
’
.
-

and th e low born ra fli an walked away together ; and the

-

brigh t beams of the holy moon an d the u ns ullied s tars fell

upo n the m as gen tly as i f they had be en good and faithful
,
’
m inisters o f the A lmighty s will .

’
The two leading features of Barbara Iverk s charac ter were ,

fidelity and a ffecti on ; all her feeling s an d actions were but

various modifications of these great principles in every -

sense o f the w ord she was simple minde d Afte r the m e n

,
-
.

had departed for some time still she cou ld ha r dly bring her ,

sel f to understand or believe the nature or extent of the crime

the y m edi ta ted .

’
I t wa s su rely a most singular manifes tation of God s provi
deu ce sh e th ou ght which place d h e r there tha t she might
, , ,

overhear an d i t might be prevent the great wickedness of

,

those evil men She descended from the window with ha s te

.
,

but with caution al so for the s ton es crumbl e d from beneath

,

her feet as she mo ved along She had scarcely set her foot on .

the grass turf when the dog w as at her side whining and
, ,

fawning with delight at again meeting with her friend and

mistress Barb ara crosse d the wild country and gain e d the
.
,

park wall withou t en countering any dan ger When there

-
.
,

sh e paused breathlessly under an oak and would have given ,

worlds to see an d spe ak to her friend Robin A mid the deep .

ness of n ight and among the foliage of the trees s h e tho u ght
, ,

she discerned the figure o f a person creeping beneath the

bou ghs — now in shadow and now casting h is ow n shadow ,

u po n what had shadow ed h im This ap pearance terrified her .

so e xceedi n gly that sh e did not gain courage to proc eed until ,

she saw that h e tur ned into a distan t pa th ; she then stole
slowly along under the shelter of the wall and when sh e came ,

to a small gate which Ope ned in to the park within view of the ,

mansion she pushed through i t and just gained the lawn

, , ,
17 2 TH E B UCCANEE R .

”
Faith no ! replied the other wi th hi s us u al chuckle ;
,

if God had willed y o u to be born a sn ail you would have ,

crept ou t of your house so careless are you in all things ,

.

D O you think there is aught Of danger for Barbara ?

said the Buccaneer his manner clearly showing that if he did
, ,

not care for himself there was something he did care for
,
.

”
If she is timid as a hare replied Robin s h e is as a , , ,

b ar e h e edful and light footed

,
no fear for her H ow your-
.

heart clings to her C aptain ,

SO i t d oes and yet some strange shadow comes over me

when I think Of her as if I knew she would despise per ,

haps hate me s h e has been brough t up in such strict prin

”
c ipl e s sti ll I would n ot have her less righ t minded
,
-
.

H e paused and they proceeded silen tly on their w ay

, ,
’
Dal ton pondering on the best meth od o f procuring De Guerre s
liberty and then thinking of his sweet and ge nt le child .

N ature may li e buried or be sti fled for a time — nu a pa

,

thetic temperament will seek to smother a harsh o n e to bind , ,

a strong one to s u bdue i t but i t overcomes the m all and

’
though a m an s speech may run according to his learning ,

and h is deeds according to his habits yet nature thinks and ,

speaks within him O ften in direct Opposition to the words that

,

fall from his lips and the actions in which he may be

,

engaged Thus it was wi th the Buccaneer despi te the fear

.

fu l course his outlawed li fe had taken the remembrance Of his ,

child woul d arise to his im agination shad e d by sorro w or , ,

sunned by happiness according to his mood Of mind ,

but
always as his child the being upon whom his very ex
is ten ce seemed to hang .

There i s little light from his window said Robin as , ,

“
they came withi n view o f the house ; let us over the fen cing .

-
Hush he continued elevating his hand so as to c om ,

mand the atten tion Of his companion at the same time bend ,

ing his ear to the earth Dalton lis tened but it would seem .
, , ,

heard no sound for he exclaimed hastily

, ,

H ush me no hush you are ever fancying something

o r oth er out Of the way .

Robin rep e ated the signal .

What mummery said the Buccaneer I hear n othing ,

”
and see nothing .

Robin laid himself on the ground while the impatient an d ,

 run BU CCANEE R . 173

irritated seaman fumed and moved about a c u rse whizzing ,

from between h is teeth as ever and anon he looked at Robi n ,

and from Robin to the house .

If you must have employment said th e Ran ger at last , ,

“
i n a low tone see to your arms A re you r pistols loaded
,
.

muzzle high are your weapons sharp Hush

The Buccaneer knew that these hints were n o t given in
wantonness and calmly examined his fi r e arm s
,
-
.

“
The tramp Of horses continued Robin and Of heavy ,

ones too ; but they are going from , n ot coming towards u s .

Ah heard ye n ot that
H e raised himself fro m the ground and the neigh Of a ,

horse w as borne to them on the blast They both s tood in .

breathless silence the Buccaneer with h is hand suspended

,

over bu t not touching h is sword handle

,
Robi n with Open
,
-

mouth and ex tended hands as if the very movemen t Of his ,

limbs could destroy the quietness around or impede the sou nd ,

they watched for A gain the neigh was repeated , but more
.

fain tly and eviden tly from a greater distan ce

, .

Safe from on e at least s aid Robin j umping i n ecstasy , , ,

but yet speaking in a subdued voice I would know the .

neigh of that bl ack stee d amid a thousand ; its tone is like

that o f a trumpet mightiest among i ts kind I feel as if th e
,
.

’
weigh t Of a hundred stone was Off m y heart don t y ou ?
Dalton replied n o t for he w as fearlessly striding towards
,

the house n ot as before sneaking among the bushes

, , ,
.

”
Let u s to the W indow C aptain said Robin , ,
.

N ot I he repli ed
,
What care I for any of them n ow 9
. .

I shall dema n d Walter from Sir Robert .

You are foolhardy What can be done quietly ough t to . ,

be done quietly I f we cannot succeed s o why dare bo th Sir

.
,
”
Robert and Sir Willmott ?
I belie ve you are right thou gh I h ate sailing on a lee ,

shore The Open Open sea for m y m oney

. , Hark ye ,
”
C ecil da r e not refuse m e this .

O r any thi ng else I suspect thou gh I know n ot why

, ,

replied Robin as he commenced climbing by the cr eeping

,

plan ts to the pr isom w in dow beneath which they now stood , .

H ow delighted he will be to se e my ugly face poor fellow ,

R obin continued muttering broken sentences all the while

he ascended havi n g previously arranged with the Buccaneer
,
17 4. TH E B U CC ANE ER .

that he was to remain below Ah ! fi rm footing th is Ol d. .

i vy There now we are u p ! —Maste r Walte r ! M aster

_

.
,

Wal ter He sleeps behind th a t screen I w arrant m e , ,

little thinking Of his fai thful friends SO so ! the rust has .

,

done its duty Str ong ro om ! strong walls they mean ; but
.

what sign ify str ong walls witho ut strong windows ? Good
—
There goes another and another better still ! A nd now
,

He entered th e cha mber passe d to th e fron t Of th e screen

, ,

Opened the large cupboard cast his eyes upon the u n trimmed,

lamp and then pe rceived that the door was sligh tly aj ar but
,

no ves tige remained of Wal ter De Guer re except his clo ak , ,

that w as flung over the chair H is first m ovement w as to .

clo se and bolt the door and then call softly to the Bucc anee r
,

to as cend .

He is gone exclaim e d Robin with a trembling voice ,

as Dalton entered the room .

”
G on e ! repeated the Skipper then is there trea chery .

My brave boy that I lo ved as my o w n son

, By Heavens
’
I ll rouse the house ! Had it not been for my accursed plots ,
’
he woul d n ot have come over I ll have h im delivered up to .

me did Si r Robe rt pla n his destruction as skil fully as he

,
I

pl o tted that Of
Hugh was prevented from fini shin g hi s sentence by the
sudden entrance Of Sir Wilmott Burrell who appeared in th e ,

room they could not tell h o w as the chair was still against ,

the door and the re were no visi ble m eans Of ad mission exce pt
,

by the window .

Dalton and the knigh t eyed each other with e v ident

astonishment but the fi ery Buccane er w as the first to speak
,
.

A n d you are here Sir Will mott ! and for no good or

,
‘

your face would n ot be so sm oo th or your lip s o smiling , .

Where sir ,
where 1 say is your pr isoner ?
,
”
My pr iso ne r goo d C ap tain ,
I had no pri sone r .

Deat h an d d n Sir W illm ott dare not to trifle with

.
,

me Where is the young man where is Walter De Guerre ?

.

You know y ou m u s t kno w Why come y ou here silently .

,

sec re tl y ? A nswer me Sir Wil lmott Burrell Where is the

, .

young m an
C aptain Dalton replied Sir Willmott , although your ,

a nxiety about this mali gn a nt co n vinces m e that you ar e n o t

the m an my frien dship thought you yet I con fess that I came ,
17 6 TH E B UCCANEE R .

n o power no con trol over h im or his destiny All I say is

, , .
,

see to it I t would be better that you had been drowned

.
,

like a blind kitten at you r birth than that any harm happened
, ,

to Walter De — De — De Dalton looked confused ,

then recovering hi ms elf he glan ced a fie rce look at Sir Will

, ,

mott and commen ced h is des cen t fro m th e window muttering

, , ,

De v il I forgot h is name couldn t he have taken an E n ’

glish one ? D— n all fo reigners With this Joh n Bullish -

exclamation which seems so na tural to the natives of Old

,
”
E ngland th e Skipper reached the ground
,
N or was Robi n .

long in following his example : he cared not to tarr y Sir

W illm ott s questioning and touched the earth sooner than h is
’

friend inasmuch as he sprang down when midway with his

, , ,

usual agility .

They had n o t gone three steps on their path w hen Sir

’
Wilmott s voice arrested their progr ess .

’
Hist Dalto n hist
,
here is the youth s cl oak put it
on good Dalton the night is raw ; here it goes
, , Well caught .
,

Robin ; make th e C aptain put it on ; you can retu rn i t to the

C avalier when you see him whi ch y ou doubtless will and , ,

soon I entreat you put it o n The path by the lake leads .

s traigh t to the Gull s N est I wish Robin you could tarry .

, ,

here till morning — I shall want you on business o f im

”
p ortance .

Robin shook his head in denial Da lton thre w the cloak .

ove r h i s shoulder and al m ost mechanical ly took the path that

,

Burrell h ad pointed out Sir Will mott immedi ately withdrew .

fro m the window They had n o t gone m ore than a hundred

.

yar ds when Robin lo oked back towards the house and by th e , ,

light of the moon caught a glimpse o f the M as ter o f Burrell

, ,

as if inten t on their movements He at the time took n o .

n otice o f this to the Buccaneer but they no sooner arrived at ,

a spot wh e re the br anches of the trees overshadowed their

path than Robin plucked the cloak from the shoulders of h is
,

companion .

Well Robin ,exclaimed the Skipper in astonis hment .

I t is n ot well replied the manikin i t canno t be well

,

when th e dev il turns n urs e —tender He would not have been .

so careful of your health if he though t your life would be of ,

long duration And why point ou t this pa th ? —i t is n ot the

.

s hortest ; and if it were what cares be for o u r legs ? Wanting,

 THE B UCCA NEE R . 17 7

Besides I saw h im
’
me to stay at the Place too i t s all ill . .
,

Watching us from the window : why should he watch us ?

w as i t love think ye ? Go to Master Dalton y ou are not
, , ,

the man you were let u s strike into another path I will be
all ears and eyes and do you keep your arms in readi ness
,
.

You are righ t Robin you are right , right in on e

”
thing at all events replied D alton leaning his arm against a
, , ,

tree and pressing h is forehead with his hand ;

,
I am not ,

indeed the m an I was ! The l ion spirit is yet within me

,

but Robin that spirit which never quailed to mor tal authori ty
, , ,
’
i s become weak an d yielding as a young girl s heart to th e ,

still but appalling voi ce o f m y ow n conscience A fter e v er y

,
.

e ffort there is a r e action : the blood — the blood shed

-

through my instrumentality and often by m y o w n hand rises , ,

before me like a crimson cloud and shuts ou t all that is pure

, ,

and holy from m y sight I t used not to be thus . My pas

sions my whirlwind passions that carried m e for w ard for ,

s o many years are dead or dying I t takes time to wind me

, .

up to a brave action : my j oints are sti ffening and crack ,

wi thin their sockets w hen called upon to do their duty The

, .

very good I would I cannot ! This Walter whom I love

, ,

nex t to my ow n Barbara — to find him in the li on s net ! ’

That Je w ish girl I sou ght merely to save her from yon hell ,

she unconsciously eludes m y searc h i n

’

hound s grasp
s o m e shape or other sh e will be sacrificed I am sick sick .

o f vil lains and vi l lany ! With wealth enough to purchase

lands broader and fairer than these we now tread upon I
, ,

woul d thank God nigh t and day upon my bended knees to

, ,

make me as on e of the poor hinds who h as not wherewi th to ,

purchase a m orning meal or as a savage a wil d untamed

savage who hunts the woods for food
“ ’
You d do foolishly then C aptai n ; under favour very , ,
’
foolishly replied Robin yielding to the Buccanee r s humour
, , ,

and yet seeking to cal m it away Know ye not that every .

rose has i ts o w n thorns and every bosom i ts o w n stings ?

,
”
Besides he continued faintly
, the wealth you speak of will
, ,

richly dower Barbara m ake her a m atch for a gentleman or ,

”
mayhap a knight !
Did you say a gentleman ? N o no I will never marry , ,

her to one who would take her as so much ballast to her gold ,
”
an d scorn her as the Rover s daughter
’
.

N
l 78 TH E B U CCANEE R .

But you woul d scorn a poor man for her

Blessed poverty exclaimed th e sailor h ow would I
hug it to my heart make i t j oint partner with my ch ild i n
m y a ffections if i t would only bring a fair unspotted n ame in
,

exchange for the gold i t migh t take away Blessed poverty .

I t would appear th at Robin w as too much occupied by h is

o w n feelings to be on the alert as usual fo r Dalton w as the
first to perceive a man stealing al ong by the si de o f but n ot ,
'
o n the path they had qui tted ; he pointed him out to Robin s
,

attention In an instant the lit tle Ranger commen ced recon

. .

n oi tr in g and came back without delay to te ll th e C aptain ,

that i t w as no other than Jack R ou pall .

“
Jack R ou pal l ! repeated D alton returning instan tly to ,

the path they had quitted saying aloud at the same time , ,

Why Jack what sends you on thi s tack ?

, ,

Whether from some sudden tremor or as tonishment it ,

cannot be ascertain ed n or could the ru fii an him self account

,

for it he discharged a pis tol evidently wi thout aim and

, , ,

R obin as instan tly struck it from his h an d

'f

I t was this report that had s o terrified Barbara But there .

w as another ear upon which it struck — in the solitude of that

wild room in C ecil Place I t sent the blood rushing to his
.

evil brain ; — h e clasped his hands in ex u ltation ; for the

d ea th sound was to him the voice of security ; and he prayed
-

( that such wretches are allowed to pray that the bullet

was at that moment w ad ing in the life strea m of the Buc -

caneer .

C HA P T E R I I I .

B th
ro e r of F e ar , m ore ga ly c l ad
r
i e r foo l 0 th tw o y e t q u i te as m ad ;
,

Th e m er r ’ ’
,

S i e o t R ep e n ta n c e ! C h l l d o f fo n d De s1re !
r
’

T h at bl o w s t th e c h y m 1e s a n d th e l ov er s fi re
’ ’ ’

Le a d i n g th e m s trll m s e n s bl y o n
,
r
B y th e str a n g e W i tc h cr aft of an on .

Co m er aoam s r
'
H ops .

To account for Wal ter De Guerre s sudden departur e we ’

must revert to the time when , silent and sol i tary he shaded ,
18 0 TH E B UCCANEE R .

h is maturer years was alone i n h is mind O ften did h e

, .

wish he had n o t seen her in her womanly beauty ; that he

had not spent a day beneath the roof where he was now a
prisoner ; that sh e had been any thing bu t worthy of the
passionate a ffection he endeavoured vainly to recall Had .

she been less perfec t he thought he could have been less ,

devoted and y e t h e would not have her other than she was .

But for such a o n e to be the victi m of Sir Willmott Burre l l

-
a trai tor ! a coward — the thought w as insupportable .

A fter many contending ideas h e came to t h e resolution that , ,

cost what i t would he would put the case in all its h e arin gs
,

to Maj or W ell m ore — another mystery he vainly sough t to

unravel but who had evidentl y powerful interest with th e
,

family at C ecil Place True he was a partisan of the Pro .

,

tec tor but nevertheless there were fine manly feelings

, ,

about his heart ; and it was moreover clear th at he was by , ,

n o means well inclined towards Sir Willmott Burrell With .

this resolution on his mind bodily fatigue overcame even his ,

anxieties and he fell into a deep slumber

, .

He h ad slept but for a short time when h e was su ddenly ,

awakened by the pressure of a h and upon his shoul der ; he

looked u p and by the dim light o f the fading lamp saw it
,

was Maj or W ell m or e who dis tur be d h is repose He star ted =

.

at once from h is couch ; but th e o ffi cer seated himself upon

an Opposite chair placed his steeple crowned and weather
,
-

beaten hat on the floor and resting his elbows on his knees , ,

and his chin between the palms of his hands fixed h is kee n ,

eyes upon the young C avalier who when perfectly awake, , ,

perceived that his visiter was dressed and armed as usual .

”
I s i t morning sir ? inquired De G u erre anxious to
, ,

break the silence .

”
N o sir was the con ci se reply
, ,
.

”
The whol e house sleeps resumed Walter ; ,

then are you up and dressed ? and why am I disturbed

You are mistaken young man Know you a pre tty de ,
.
,

m ure waiting gentlewoman called Barbara ?

,
-
,
'

Mistress C ecil s attendant

The same — she has but now left the house to c om m u ,
’
nicate I suppose with your respectable friends at the G ull s
, ,

N est and devise means for your escape

,
.

I f so, I am sure I know nothing of the foo li sh plan .

 TH E B UCCANEE R 18 1

I bel ieve you

i‘
There is another who slumbers not
. .

W hat C onstantia —is she ill ? inquired the C ava

,
”
~

lier with an earn estness that caused something of a smile to

,

visit the fir m s e t lip of the hardy soldier .

’
N o I kno w nothing o f young ladies slumbers I dar e
s ay she and her loquacious friend Lady Frances have talked , ,

themselves to sleep long since

L ady Frances I dare say has persisted Walter :
, , light ,
’ ”’
0 lip ligh t 0 s leep
,
.

“
I spoke of neither of the women sai d the M aj or , ,

s ternly ;
“ I allude to Sir Willmott Burrell — h e sleeps
”
not .

”
By my troth I am glad o f i t exclaimed the C avali er ; ,
’
right glad am I that slumber seals not the craven s lids .

Would that I were by h is side with m y good steel and , ,

Where there could be no interruption ; the sun should never

”
rise upon his bridal morn .

A h ! y ou would sho w your regard for Mistress C ecil I ,

presume by destroying the man s h e has chosen to be h er

,
’
hu sband such is the Malignant s love
Love sir ,
I have not spoken of love But coul d C on .

stantia C ecil lo v e a dastard like this Burrell ? Listen ! I

thought to te l l you — et when I look on you I cannot
y , ,

there is that about you which seems at war with tenderness .

A ge sits upon your brow as if i t were enthroned on Wisdo m

the wisdom learned in a most troubled land — the wis
-

dom that takes suspicion as i ts corner stone yet once may , ,

hap bloo d warm and gentle too flowed in those very veins
, , ,

that time hath wrought to sinews and then sir then ,

o u looked on love and youth with other eyes w i t not

y as .

so P
I t may have been replied the soldier speak on
,
.

I n m y early youth nay i n very childhood I was th e

, , ,

playmate of her who is now ripened into glorious womanhood .

I wil l n o t tell y ou why o r wherefore — but tis a strange ’

story — m y destiny led me to di s tant but far less happ y

scenes : my heart panted to be near her once again yet it
was all m v ain for m tru th I was cast upo n the waters
, , ,

le ft
Like the in fant M oses doubtless interrup ted the , ,
’
M aj or ; adding B u t found you no Pharaoh s daughter to
,
'

N 3
 18 2 TH E B U COAN E E R .

succour and take pity ? Methough t there were many to be

come nursing fathers and mothers to the spawn the off sets ,
-
,

o f monarchy .

Sir exclaimed th e C avalier wi th emotion why this ,

n eedless insult ? Y o u told me to proceed an d now

I te ll y ou to desist What ca re I to hear of the lov e
.

you h e ar the woman C ecil ? She is the betrothed of another

_

m an and were she not think you I could wish her wed ded to
,

o n e holding principles such as yours ? Have n ot her gallan t

brothers boys fostered nurtured in freedom soared to taste
, , ,

the liberty of h eaven Have they not yielded up their breath ,

their life blood i n the holy cause

- The saplings were de
’
stroyed although th e Lord s arm w as outstretched and
, ,

m ighty to sa ve A nd think y e I would se e her who is part ,

and parcel of such glorious flesh wedded to on e who yearn s ,

for the outpouring o f slau ghter and the coming again o f a ,

”
r ace of locusts upon this now free land P

I f Lady C ons tance would ha v e broken the unj u st con

tract replied Walter reasoning for once with something
, ,

like coolness I should not have thought of asking your

,

opinion or c onsulting your w i shes Maj or W ell m ore

,
”
, .

A nd yet h ad you been di fferent had the Lord given

, ,

u nto you to discern the right I coul d I might I would s ay , , , ,

have had su fficient influen ce to order i t otherwise that i s ,

if her a ffections be not placed on Burrell for I hold it as a

fl e sh l y and most carnal act to bestow the hand in m arriage ,
”
w here the heart goeth not wi th it .

If Mistres s C ecil were asked said Walter sh e would , ,

n ot I am sur e
,
deny that the man is held by her in utter
,
”
abhorrence .

I have heard of this replied the veteran bu t look

, ,

u pon the inform ation most doubtingly C onsta ntia C ecil is .

a truth loving and a God fearing woman and I deem her to

-
-

be o n e who would die sooner than pligh t a false faith : it

wou ld be di ffi cult to find a motive strong enough to destroy
”
her sense of religion or the recti tude springing therefrom
,
.

A sk yourself acquain ted as y ou are with both n atures

, ,
“
persisted De Guerre i f on e like Mistress C ecil coul d love
,

such as Sir Will mott B urrell ?

I grant the apparent impossibility o f the case ; but m ar k
“

y e it
, is easier to believe i n the existence o f impossibil i ties ,
184 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

I t i s not too late said the ol d officer , if you will ,

listen calmly and learn that there is no necessity for such

,

profaneness as y ou have used O aths and exclamations can .

not destroy facts any more than sunbeams can dissolve iron
,

s o avoi d I pray you idle or wicked words and listen

, , , You , .

woul d prevent this marriage ?

Most undoubtedly were i t possible but I know I feel
, , ,

i t is too la te —the damning

”
Sir ! interru pted the Roundhead warmly I have jus t ,

cautioned you against the u se of pro fane words ; yet you

stu ff them down my throat I am crammed s ir with your .
, ,
"
blasphemy .

”
Is this a time to stand o n words ? inquired De Guerre ,

w ith great quietude o f m anner We have di fferent modes .

o f e xpression but they tend towar ds the sa me c 1

, 1d at least
so you would have me believe We have both in view the .

”
happiness of Mistress C ecil .

Y ou speak truly repli ed the other ;

,
and having so
goo d an obj ect to attain it is meet that we use the worthiest
,

m eans to achieve i t ; a lily should n o t be trained and n ou

”
r ish e d by a sullied hand .

The youth bowed though when he afterwards thought

, ,

upon the simile he pondered on the strangeness th at on e like

,

W ell m ore should seek metaphors from the flowers of the field .

But nature and its feel ings are rooted in the heart o f the
warrior and the statesman as well as in that of the tenderest
,

maid w h o tends the sheep or m ilks the lowing kine th e

di fference alone is that m any things besides find place within
’
th e worldling s bosom while her breast is one sweet and gentle
,

storehouse for God and for his works .

Y ou would preven t this marriage ? reiterated the s ol

dier Walter again bowed ; but the gesture intimate d im
.
s

patience .

Y o u are opposed to the present system an d would have ,

”
i t chan g ed ? h e continued .

”
Where is the use of this repetition ? said De Guerre .

Y ou know all this and from myself : impruden t I have

,
”
been but not deceitful
, .

A nd you would see the Protector of these realms brought

to the C an you not finish the sentence
I would and I would not see him brought to the block,
, ,
 TH E B U GCA N E E R . “
18 5

re pl ied Wal ter with manly frank ness

,
I com e of a rac e
.
.

who loved the Stuarts i n some degree I have been cherished

by them Yet though a most desperate
.
,
”
O ut with it sir said the Maj or hastily filling up the
, , ,
’
pause in De Guerre s sentence O ut with i t ! I am ac ;
custo m ed to hear him abused .

A most desperate vill ain ; still there is a boldness a '

native majesty — a Dal ton h as so o ften praised h is

”
bravery .

”
Dalton ! Di d Dalton speak well of C romwell ? inter
r upte d W el l m or e .

Yes well greatly of him as an i ntrepid soldier as a

, , , ,

being to wonder at Yet he has no right to the high plac e

.

w hereo n he sits and

Y o u would pull him down ?
”
I confess it .

The time will come when I w ill discuss the merits of

this case with you said W ell m or e after a pause ;
”
,
-
albeit I ,
’ ’
like not discussion ; tis not a soldier s weapon ; but y ou are
worthy of the e ffort I like y ou though you are min e
.
,

ene m y and that is more than I can say of many friends

, .

You know nothing of what the country su ffered Y ou kno w .

nothing of the sacrifices that man has made for its good .

Were not C romwell and Ireton accused by their ow n party of

favo u ring the man Stuart ? Was n ot C romwell oblige d to
sa
y to A shburnha m and Berkeley who came to him as the , ,

Parliament thought on all occasions and about all things

, , ,

If I am an honest m an I have said enough of the sincerity , ,

of m y in tentions ; and if I am not nothing is eno u gh ? W as ,

’

’
he not o verpowered by the people s clamours They would
have a king no longer the name sir th e very name was as , ,

a fo ul stench in their nostrils ; the time had arrived when the

lawgiver was to depart from Judah C oul d he or could any .
,

man ought he or ou gh t any m an to fight against the Lord

, ,
’ ”
or the Lord s people ? H e spoke thus far with strength
and energy then suddenly pausing he added
,
B u t as I , , ,

said before there is time enough for this A s to yoursel f

, .
,

young man if your love towards the lady be firm and true,
,

if your wishes for h er welfare be pure and holy if y ou are a

I will tell you — for this came I
,

tru e patriot — behold !

hither — say that you will be on e of the stan ding arm y of
18 6 TH E B U OCA N E E R .

E ngland ! but the

sa word — to enj oy rank opportun itie s
y ,

of disti nction honour and C onsta nce C ecil as your bride

, ,

He paused as for reply but the C avali er made none ; he ,

only leaned his head against his hand as if communing with ,

himself .

She will be miserable persiste d the crafty soldier ,

inevitable misery will be her lot and you can prevent i t if ,

”
you please He fi xed his eyes u pon Walte r as if to read
.
,

the secrets of his so ul ; then unsatisfied with the sc r utiny , ,

continued Burrell as you have observed cannot m ake

, ,

her happy : so much beauty so much worth you cannot ,

-

hesitate your single arm coul d not accomplish the end you
”
aim at .

”
Peace te mpter peace ! exclaimed the C av alier bursting
, , ,

as fearlessly and as splendidly from his repose as the sun from

behind a dark but ye t silen t thunder cloud Y ou might -
.

have conquered he con ti nued in a more subdued tone

,
h ad ,

not the knowledge of the love of C onstantia C eci l s aved m e .

,

as it has often done She w ould only loathe the man who
.

could ch ange his principl es from any m otive but conviction .

E nough s ir — enough sir ! I know not who you really are ;

, ,

but this I know I woul d no more see her despoil e d of her

,

rectitude than of her chastity Had she been here she woul d .
,

have ac ted as I have done —no she would have acte d better , ,
”
for she would n o t have hesi ta ted .

The veteran remained s ilent for a few moments after this

burst of strong and noble feeling ; he then slowly and de
l iber atel y put on his hat dr e w the thick bu ff gloves over h is
,

muscul ar hands resumed the cloak that h ad fallen from h i s

,

shoulder an d pointed to the door

, .

”
Do you mean , inquired Walter that I am at l iberty ,

to dep art
Y ou are to go with me ; but you are still to consider
”
y ourself under arrest .

To go whither ?
You go wi th me Y ou migh t have been at liberty but
.

n ow you go with me A nd one word more Walk gently .

,
.

if you v al ue life or what may be dearer than li fe

,
I am .

n o t one to have my wil l disputed Y ou will learn as .

m uch ; but now I say walk gently ,

I wish n o t to dis ,
.

turb this giddy household : they prate l ike others of their ,

18 8 TH E B UCCANEE R .

C H A PT E R IV .

Joi n tu re po rti on gold e s ta te

, , , ,

H ou s es h o u s e h o l d t u ff o r l an d
,
-
s , ,

(Th e l o w c o n v e n i e n c e s o f fa te ) ,

A r e G r e e k n o l ov e rs u n d e rs ta n d . C O WL E Y .

VE R I L Y the Lord scattereth was the exclamation o f the

Reverend Jonas Fl ee tw or d as he passed from on e to another
,

of the apartments of C ecil Place seeking for some one wi th ,

Sir W illmott Bur

'

whom to hold converse yet finding none , . s

r ell was abroad even at an hour s o early Lady Fran ce s

,

C rom w ell closeted with C onstantia Sir Robert C ecil parti on s

l arl y engaged ; even Barbara Ive rk was not to be found

and the poor preacher had but little chance of ei ther a break
”
fast or a gossip or as he termed it
, , a commune I n the ,
.

course of his wanderin gs however he at length encoun tered

, ,

Solomon Grundy pu ffing and courtesying under the weight o f

,

a huge pasty he w as conveying by a pro di gious e ffort to the , ,

butte ry.

Ah Sol omon my friend said F le e tw or d, of a tru th it

, , ,

is a pleasant thing to see thee .

Y ou m ean that you behold something pleasant with me ,

retorted the cook and of a verity your reverence ,

Y ou must not cal l me reverence i t is on e o f the de s ig

n ations of the beast my voice is raised against it — against
”
the horned beast .

This was a horned beast once again rep lied Solomon , ,

’
observing that the preacher s eye was fixed upon the pasty ;
nature may be changed by cookery I t hath lost all the .

sinful qu alities that you talk about and b ath become most ,

savoury and nourishing food : doth i t resemble the change

that you say takes place in the spiri t ?
, ,

We must not so mingle profane an d sacred things mur ,

mured F le e tw or d placing h is forefinger upon the tempting

,

dish with a longi n g and eager look for he had walked far and
,

was fasti n g . Is this on e of the baked meats thou art pre

paring for the coming festival
What festival inquired the cook surlily : I know of ,
 !ru n B UCCANEE R . 18 9

510 festiv al . Of a su rety have I laboured in my calling to

, ,

furn ish forth something worthy of this house yet fro m what ,

I hear there will be fe w at this wedding to profi t by m y skill

, .
”
I little thought to see ou r dear young lady s o wedded .

Solomon feasting i s foolishness ; it s avou r e th of th e

,

m ammon of unrighteousness : yet w as N imrod a mighty

hunter be fore the Lord and Isaac loved seethed kid C oul dst
, .

thou extract a morsel of m eat from that com pound , for o f a

truth I am an hungered ?
What ! spoil m y garnishi n g exclaimed Grundy loo k
a t the frosting o f that horn and the device the two doves, ,
’

see s t thou n o t the doves ?

Yea ; but methinks thou mightest take away a portion ,
w ithout inj ury to the goodly fabric —Behold and th e . .

’
R everend Jonas lifted with the cook s long knife ( which he
,

snatched in unbecoming haste from the girdle ) the paste of ,

the edge of the gigantic pie and stole a weighty slice of th e

,

venison from beneath .

A h ah ,
grinned Solomon evidently pleased at the di s ,

ti nction bestowed upon his compost Is i t not passing .

good ? But y ou taste not of the gravy the gravy !

’
I t is unseemly to dispose one s heart to w ards such luxu
ries though the saints stand in need of food n o less than the
y oung ravens only i t should be in m oderation .

The preacher gulped down a ladleful of the pottage and ,

gasped for another unmind ful o f his o wn precept while the

, ,

gravy lingered on h is lips .

Such as that would soon m ake y ou another man said ,

Solomon glancing at F l ee tw or d s slender and spin dle shanks ;

,
’

’ ”
5 there s nourishment in it
‘
.

We all stand i n n eed of regeneration Solomon and , ,

should desire improvement even as the hart panteth for the

,

water brooks be i t improvemen t of body or improve

-

ment o f mind There was a wise King of Israel o f thy

.

n ame .

What Grundy sir ? the Grundys were o f Lancashire

, ,

said the gratified compounder o f kitchen stu ff! -

N ot Grund y ; heard ye ever i n Scripture of a n ame

” “
like that ? retorted the preacher I t w as Solomon th e .

i v1se .

I remember h im now ; he had a many wives . But you

190 TH E B UCCANEE R .

can call to min d sir when I only wan ted to put away old
, ,
’
Joan and m arry Ph oebe Gra ceful you sir wouldn t let me
, , , , .

”
B u t them old C hristians had a deal more liberty .

Peace fool ! exclaimed F lee tw or d somewhat in anger

, , .

”
Solomon was a Jew .

A Jew repeate d the cook I wonder at your holy

reverence to think of such wi ckedness ; surely your reverence
does not want me to be l ike a Jew
Solomon th ou art a fool ,
in bone in flesh in marrow , , ,

and in spiri t Have I not told thee of the ungodliness of these

.

thoughts ? replied the preacher as he finished his last morsel , .

But unless I answer thee according to thine o w n foolish

,

ness I ca n not make thee understand Get me a flagon of

,
.

”
double dub -
.

With a toast in it ? demanded Grundy s lily peering out ,

at the corner of his eye .

Thou canst comprehend tha t replied F le e tw or d truly ,

truly the creature comforts have absorbed thy whole stock

,

o f ideas Thou a rt li ke a sponge Solomon

. a mere fungus , .

Thou m ay st put i n the toast A nd hark ye ! if ye see Bar

’
.

bara tell her I woul d s peak with her not here

,
n ot here

that wo ul d be unseemly — but in the oak parlour or the ,

li brary I care not which

,
.

N ow do I wish for Robin Hays muttered the shrewd ,

yet ignorant cook fo r he would e x pou n diate which signifies , ,

make clear why a parson must not m eet a maid in the but
te r y
. But he is not a parson Then he is a man But
not only a m an he must be something else methinks But
, , .

why not Barbara go to the buttery Just i n time, here comes

’ ’
Robin so I ll e en ask him Give you good day my Ke n tish .
,

man it w as a pity you were not here last night as you so love ,

a fray The handsome youth who had been staying on a

.
,

v isi t was cooped up becau se he and Sir Willmott fought about

, ,

my Lady C onstance An d then the Major —h e h as been .

here two or three times and they call him W ell m ore — a] ,

though worthy Jabe z Tip pet the boatman swears n o not , , ,

swears declares that no such person ever cro ss es the ferry

,

— yet is h e dumb as a tortoise as to who does Well the .

,

Maj or and the young gentleman went o ff in a flash of light

ning or something of the sort for Sir Willmott and m y
,

master could n ot find him A nd I asked Barbara about .

199 m m B UCCANE E R .

I know who you mean perfectly well replied th e pert ,

woman in authority we of the court are not thick headed, -

as you o f the coun try may be so I will explain fully to ,

’
o ur s h e tittered rudely and loudly but Robin s pride
y
was nettled and h e heeded it not
,
to your but I
w ouldn t l au gh if I c ould help it
’

,
Barbara wished to know .

h o w the attendants were dressed when m y Lady Mary was

married s o very lately to my Lord Fau conber g and as we of ,

the court always carry our wardrobes with us and the simple ,

girl being my size —sh e ha th a marvellously fi ne person for

o n e count ry bred I dressed her as was fitting i n m y robes
-

a whi te striped silk petti coat and a whi te body made of foreign
,

t affeta the sleeves 1

,
0 0 ped up with white pearls no cap upon ,

her head but a satin hood j ust edged with Paris lace
, Od s .
’ ’

Gemini young man if you had but seen her Then all of a
, .

sudden her lady wanted her to get some flowers and she had ,

o nly time to throw o n her cardinal and run for the m ?

Then sh e is in the garden

By the Fairy Ring I take it ; for there the best flowers
,

grow .

R obin did not tarry to thank the court damsel for her in
formati on but bounded right away to the garden cursing the
, ,

rude laugh that again insul ted him .

A s he drew near the Ring he heard a faint shriek , H is .

quick ear knew at once that i t came from the lips of Bar .

bara and bursting through the trees he was in a n instant by ,

h e r side .

I t will take man y words to describe what had passed in a

single moment .

’
Barbara dres sed as Lady Frances woman had described
, ,

w as on her knees before a sli ght sallow youth who held an , ,

unsheathed dagger i n one hand and Spoke in a language that ,

was a mixture of some foreign tongue and most imperfect

E nglish .Barbara pale and trembling evidently did not u n
, ,

der s ta n d a word the other said yet knelt with hands and face
,

up turned while the boy brandished the weapon as if in the

, ,

act of striking A s his dark eye flashed upon his victim it

.
,

caught sight o f the Ranger who rushed fro m the thicket to

,

her side Wi th a pier c ing cry the boy spr ang away into an
.
,

almost impenetrable underwood that skirted the portion of the ,

Fairy Ring most di stant from the house B arbara no sooner .

 TH E B UCCANEE R . 19 3

saw Robin than she attempted to rise but sh e w as unequal to

any further exertion and sank fainting on the grass
,
.

When she recovered she found hersel f in the same spot

, ,
’
wi th her head on Robin s shoulder Her spirits were relieved .

by a burst of tears and withdrawing her head sh e wep t , ,

plentifully i n her hands heedless o f th e drops that crept ,

through her smal l fingers and fell abundantly on the white ,

silk petticoat the waiting maid so highl y pri zed Robin had
-
.

always thought her beautiful but he had never avowed it to ,

himself so decidedly as now Her long luxuriant hair no .

, ,

lo n ger twisted and flattened under her P u ritan cap flo w ed over ,

’
the simple but to Robin s eyes superb dress i n which she w as
, , ,

arrayed the drapery rather added to than lessened the pure , ,

and holy look w hich is the soul and essence o f virgin l oveli
ness ; and he never felt his ow n worthlessness so much a s ,

while thus contemplating Barbara at th e ver y m oment when

sh e was a thousand times dearer to h im than ever .

She was the first to speak as passing her hand over her ,

eyes then looking up between their long silken lashes smil

, ,

ing as a young child at the danger that was past and retain ,

ing only the remembrance of it because it brought to her ,

gentle and a ffectionate min d another proof o f Robin s attach ’

ment and protecting care she stretched ou t her hand al l gem

, ,

med as it was and sobbed even whi le smiling

, , ,

Dear good Robin I he would have killed me

,
A re you .

quite sure he is gone ? C ome n ear me Robin h e will not ,

come back while y ou are here I am sure he misto ok me for .

some on e else for she spoke in a l o w tone

,
I s aw him ,
” ’
once before Robi n Hays still lower
,
at the Gull s N est, ,

C rag only last night

,
.

I knew the little rascal w as after no good and to pretend

dumbness too
Dumbness repeated Barbara Did he pretend to be .

”
dumb and do you know him i
I do know that he in some degree stole h is passage over
, ,
’
in But no matter ; I ll clip his wings and blunt h is ,

dagger I warrant me ; h e shall play no more such pranks

, .

To frighten y ou my Barbara ! ,what could be the mo tive ?

”
serious inj ury he could n o t intend .

A h Robin ! said Barbara shuddering

, y ou did not , ,

se e his eyes as I did, or you would not s a such eyes

y so

o
 194 run B UCCANEE R .

Ah, I should have been bitterly frigh tened had I not praye d
this m orning Dear Robin why do you not pray
.
,

Robin l ac ked at her and sighed C ould you understand

nothing of what he said ? inquired he .

I heard him repeat the n ame of Burrell and that o f m y ,

dear lady two or three times ; bu t what h e mean t I cannot

,

fathom O h but he had a wild and terrible look Why

.
,

should he s eek to harm me ?

”
Why indeed ! echoe d Robin ;
,
i t must be seen into ,
”
’
and that imme di ately I ll speak anon of it to Dalton
. .

To D alto n in her turn echoed the girl O h that

The re is no one under the sun w h o has more love for y ou

”
than he h as than Hugh Dalton .

I am sure he knew m y father .

He did in dee d : but ques ti on m e no farther n o w sweet

, ,

Barbara ; m ake your mind qui te eas y the outrage shall not be ,
’
repeated Perhaps the bo y is cra zed Let s think no more
. .

o f it my gentle girl
. I must bid you farewell
. .

Farewell Robin Why

, wherefore ? Tell me where ,

are you going ? Whe n do you return ? H ow long do y ou

sta Y
N ow if I were a king and o n e that wom an could look
, ,

u pon and love I would give the half the whole of my king
, ,
”
dom , to be sure she feels as earnestly as sh e speaks thought ,

Robin She perceived th e coldness of his look and con tinued

.
, ,

thou gh with a changed expression ,

What ails you ? Have I angered you ? Will you be

”
thus wayw ard with your poor Barbara ?
My Barbar a be repeated bitterly and be touched the ,
“
F re n ch ifi ed h ood that hung over her shoulder s : my Bar
bara ! woul d these trappings become any one that belonged to
such a thing as me ? Rare con trasts we should be Methink s
such bravery does ill adorn a simple Puritan one professi ng
such principles should don a plainer robe Gems too upo n .
, ,

your slee v es — is not a bright but modest eye a far m ore , ,

pr ecious j ewel ? If it can be outshone by any other ornament ,

”
it is worth nothing .

He turned from her as he spoke and te ars agai n gathere d ,

in h er eyes .

sh e said in a broken voice

“
Robin , i t w as Mistress ,
19 6 TH E B UCCANE E R .

on m y heart Do you think i t would be very wrong to wear

.

th i s dress at my lady s bridal ?

’

Robin smiled at the earnestness and simplicity that cha

r a c te r is e d this child o f nature .

Oh no ; but if you love such I can get you far finer

, ,
”
garments .

C an you indeed ? she exclaimed j oyfully But no ,

she added in a sadder v oice no bravery for me after this

,

bridal I dreamed a dream last night Do y ou believe in

. .

dreams Robin ?
, Lis ten : I thought we were all s tanding at
an altar i n the ruined chapel .

W h o ? All ? inquired the Ranger eagerl y , .

My lady and that man and sh e pause d , .

Wh o again inquired Robin .

’
Why you : twas but a dream you know she adde d , , ,

blushing to the temples Then as the colour fa ded from her

.
,

cal m face even more qui ckly than i t came sh e contin u ed

, , ,

And we all looked so beau ti ful and I thought you so like

the C avalier Walter and I felt so peaceful and happy But
, .

j ust as you touched my hand there came a mist between us ,

a dense and chilling mist that made the marrow curdle in ,

m y bones and my j oints sti ff and iron bound and a voice a

,
-

low mournful voice like the wail of a dying bird said

, , ,

C ome ! and I attempted to answer N ot yet ; but m y ,

tongu e felt frozen to my teeth and my teeth were as icicles ,

wi thin my lips ; and I w as enshrouded in the mist The n .

suddenly a pang shot through my heart as if i t were the dart ,

o f death and I wo u ld have screamed such was i ts agony ;

, ,
»

but still m y tongue was frozen A nd I su ffered I cann ot ,

tell you what : when suddenly a soft breath breathed upon

m y cheek and it felt warm and soothing and a voice
, ,

sounding I may as well tell i t all Robin — so like yours , ,

’
said Pray
,
A nd as I prayed
. not in words but in spirit
‘
, ,

the pain departed fro m me and the blood flowed again ,

through my veins ; and gazing upwards I found that I w as ,

not in the ruined chapel but in the presence of the blessed

,

Saviour He looked upon us u pon us both

“
Stop Barbara !
, excl aimed Robin whose imagination , ,

at all times easily worked upon now became abs olute torture , ,
”
for mercy s top I t was but the dream of a weak girl
, .

F or the first time since she had grown to woman s estate

‘ ’

,
 TH E B UCCANEE R : 19 7

he pressed her to his bosom and then silently walked wi th ,

her to the li ttle gate that led to the garden .

Let C risp stay with me Bright eye and he agree better.

-

”
than usual said Barbara with a quiet smile
,
.

I will replied Robin adding as he turned away

, , ,

in the God you worship and put no faith in dreams

, .

C HAP TER V .

Te l l m en o f h i gh c n d i ti on o
Th a t ru l e ff i rs o f ta te
a a s ,

T h 1r p u rp se i am b i t i o n
e o s ,

T h e i r p c ti c e o n ly h te
ra a

A n d if t h e y o n c r e p l y e ,

T h e n g i v e th e m a l l th e lie .

Tell W it h ow m u c h i t w ran g l e s
In t c k l e p o i n ts of n i c e n e s s
1

Te l l W i s d o m s h e e n t n g l e s a
H e r s e l f i n o v e r W i s e n e ss ;
-

A n d w h e n th e y d o r e pl y ,

S tra i gh t g ive th em bo th th e J OS H U A SI L vs s r s a .

Ro n ny h ad doubtless good reasons for the hint he had given

, ,

Barbara that she migh t soon again see the Buccaneer and
, ,

that she would do well to u s e that forbearan ce towards him

which she had so kindly and s o i nvariably practised towards
the Ranger A fter leaving her as we h ave stated i n safety
.
, ,

at o n e o f the entrances to C ecil Place he proceeded to the ,

’
Gull s N est His first inquiries were concerning the boy who
.

had contr ived to s teal a passage on board the Fire fl y from -

Fran ce to E ngland and who had pretended dumbness H ow

,
.

the youth got on board his vessel Dalton could not imagine ,

al though w hen the discovery was m ade his feigning the in

, ,

fi rm ity we have mentioned succeeded so well that the Bucca ,

neer absolutely be lieved he could neither hear nor speak an d ,

sympathised w ith him accordingly The indignation o f Dalto n .

w as quickly roused by the outrage described by Robin Hays

he was moreover much exasperated that such a deceptio n
, ,

should have been success fully practised on himself N othing .

is so sure to anger those who duly value their penetration as ,

the knowledge that they have been duped by those they con
0 3
19 8 TH E B U CCAN E E R .

sider in ferior to themselves : indeed the best of us are more ,

ready to pardon bare faced wi ckedness than designing cun

-

ning ; we m ay reconcile ourselves to the being overpowered

by the one but scarcely ever to the being over reached by the
,
-

other .

Spr in gall had quitte d C ecil Place the morning after his
encounter with Maj or W e ll m or e of whom he persisted in ,
’
speaking as the strong spectre m a n and neither Robin s -

’
entreaties nor Dalton s commands could prevail on or for c e
him agai n to take up his abode withi n the house .

I know not why I should remain he said ; the girls ,

’
flout and laugh at my sea saw ways as they call them ; -

and th ough Barbara is a trim craft well built and rigged too ,
-

yet her quiet smile is worse to me than the grinning of th e

’
others I ll stay nowhere to be both frightened and scouted
.

the C aptain engaged m e to weather the sea not the land and , ,
'

I d rather bear the cat a board the Fire fl y or even a lecture

- -

,
”
in the good ship Providence than be land lagged any longer ,
-
.

'

H e was present in the room at th e Gull s Nest when Robin

recounted to the Buccaneer the peril in which Barbara had
been placed ; and the young sailor speedily forgo t the meek
j esting of the maiden in the magnitude of her danger .

The black eyed boy has n ot been near the house all day
-

,
’
added Spr in gall and m y o w n belief is that he s n o he but
, , ,
’
a woman in disguise My fai th on it J e rom io s in the secret
.
, ,

as sure as my n ame is O bey Sprin gall J e r om io understands

all m anner of lingoes and would be likely to consort with any
,

foreigners for filthy lucre : he h as ever ventures of his own ,

and this is on e .

There may be wisdom in thy giddy pate observed the ,

Buccaneer thoughtful ly God help me ! dangers and plots

.

gather thickly around and my wi ts are not bri gh tening with

,

my years .

Marry i t s no woman ,
’
observed Mother Hays ; I ,

could not be decei v ed — it s a dark — ”

browed bo y lowering h e r
’

,
“
voice very like what Prince C harlie was as I remember
, ,
”
him but with ra ther a Jewish look for a C hristian prince
, .

”
Robin said Dal ton taking the Ranger aside “ if this
, , ,

most loathsome marriage cannot h e stayed — if what I mean

to do should fail my daughter must seek another home and
another protector Were Mi ss C ecil to become the wife of
.
200 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

h ow the King of Fran ce with his o wn hands made him a pre , ,

sent of a gold box inlaid with diamonds that had upon the
, ,

lid on the outsi de the arms of Fran ce composed o f th ree l arge

, , ,

j ewels and in the inside the monarch s o w n picture ; — the

’

, , ,

C ardinal Mazarine too gave him a dozen pieces of the ri chest

, ,

Gen oe se velvet ; and then his Lordship not to be outdone , ,

made hi m a gift of equal value — and then I forget me what ,

was the next and the next — and the nex t — and the
”
next but i t was migh ty fine trafficking that I know ,
.

’ ’
A y Robin ,
nothing for nothing is the statesm an s
,

motto N ow give you good speed and success

.
, Y o u can
send to me almost from any part of the kingdom in a fe w
hours Spare no e fforts for h is free dom — Jack Rou pall s
.
’

confession proves but too tru l y that Sir Willmott is sworn ,

agains t his life and till that ru ffian is done fo r or qu iete d

, , ,

there is no safety for Walter I have sent Jack on private .

work to the West so he is out of the way — that s on e com

’

fort Great interest have I i n th e boy ; next to m y o w n child

.
,

there is nothing I love so much A nd n ow Robin fare .

, ,
”
well 1
When Robi n bade adieu to his mother she began to weep ,

and wail after the natural cus tom o f mothers high and low
, ,
.

A h you are ever on the ro ve e ver on the wander You

will be on your ranges some o f these odd days when I de par t
‘

, ,
’
this life ; and then you ll never know what I have to tell
”
ou.
y
If
it were any thing worth tell ing y ou woul d have told i t ,

long ago ; for a woman cannot keep a secret that we all know ,
.

Ah boy boy God bless you and good by

, I won ,
- ~

de r will that wen ch Barbara think to send me a bit of the

, ,

bride cake ? I warrant I have a sweet tooth i n my head still

-

albei t I have but tw o A nd after some more idle talk , and

.

much caressing they parted , .

My poor old mother though t Robin Hays sh e does ,

excellently well as a mother for me but think o f such as Bar

”
bara calli ng her by such a title 1 A nd he whistled on his
way though not for want of thought
, his feelings and
ffections were divided between Barba ra I ver k and Walter De
a u e r re .

We must now proceed with Hugh Dalton a second time to

C ec rl Place His interview with the baronet was of a nature
.
 B UCC A NEE R 201
‘

TH E .

very di fferent from that with which ou r narrative commenced .

Sir Robert seemed as if the weight of a hundred years had ‘

be en pressed upon his brow indeed Time could not h ave so ,

altered any man I t was not th e deed of Time that m ade the
.

eye vigilant even in its dimness , the hand thou gh trembling ,

almost to palsy fumble with the sword handle ,

that racked -

the poor w ithering and shrinking brain within its m ul tiplied

, , ,

cabinets by a thousan d terrors — such was not the work of

,

Time H ow di fferent was his from the hoary but holy age
.
, , ,

that ushers an aged and i t may be a worn but godly and , ,

grateful spirit to an eternity o f happiness

,
—when the records
o f a good man s life m ay be traced by the gentle furrows that
’

nature and not crime h as plou ghed upon the bro w

, the ,

voice sweet thou gh feeble giving a benison to all the living

, , ,

things of this fair earth the eye gentle and subdued sleep , ,

ing calmly within its socket the heart trusting in the pre ,

sent and h 0pjn g i n the future ; j u dging by itself of others

, ,

and so judging kind ly ( despi te experience ) o f all mankind ,

un til time may have chimed ou t h is warning notes

A thousand and a thousand times had Sir Robert cursed the
evil destiny that prompted him to confess his crime to his
daughter ; and his curses were more bi tter and more deep , ,

when he found that Sir Willmott Burrell had played s o

treacherous a part and inveigled h im under total subj ection
,
.

A nd is i t Sir Willmott Burrell who is to procure me a

free pardon and an acknowl edged ship ? T rust my case to
Sir Willmott Burrell growled Dalton as he s at opposite the ,

en feebled baronet : his hands clen ched h is brows knit and , ,

his heart swel ling in his bosom wi th contending feelings .

Trust my case to Sir Willm ott Burrell he repeated A nd .

s o Sir Robert C ecil you have sold your soul to the devil for
, ,

a mess of pottage a mess of poisoned pottage Y ou have not, ,

you say the poor power of obtaining the most trifling favour
,

for yourself But I say again Look to i t for by the God in

.
, ,

heaven I will have my sui t or my revenge

, .

Revenge has come groaned fort h th e unfor tu nate man .

I s i t n ot enough that my child that high souled noble ,

-

crea ture knows of my guilt ! A ll this day and yesterday too

, , ,

s h e would not s e e me I know h o w i t is —I am as a leper .

”
in her eyes .

”
Your daughter your daughter know your crime ! said -
202 THE B UCCAN E E R .

the Buccaneer How how was that ? — W h o told who

, ,

could have told her such a thing — who had the heart
But stay he continued with h is rude but n atural energy
, ,

the better feelings of his nature coming ou t at once when he ,

understood what th e baronet must have endured under such

circum stances : sta y you need n ot tell me ; there is but
,

o n e man upon ear th who could so act and that man is Sir ,

W ill m ott Burrell —The villain made a shrewd guess and

.
,

fooled y c in to a confession I see through i t all . A nd are

”
you so m ean a coward ? he continued turning upon Sir ,

Robert a look of in e fl abl e contempt are you cowardly enough

'

to sacrifice yo u r daughter to save yourself ? I see i t now the

secret that Burrell has wormed from you is the spear that
pushes her to the altar and you y u su ffer this and sell
o ,

her and her lands to stay his tongue Man man is there no , ,

feeling at your heart Ha v e ye a heart ? I — I a rude ,

un taught savage who se hands are sta ined with blood even to
, ,

the very bone ; who have been as a whirlwind scattering ,

desolation over the deck of whose vessel has floated the pen
n o n of e v ery land working destruction as a pastime ; I m
, y ,

self would brand myself as a brigand and a Buccaneer

,

scorch the words in letters o f fire on m y brow and s tand to

, , ,

be gazed upon by the vile rabble at every market cross in E ng -

land sooner than su ffer my hu m ble child to sacrifice the least

,

portion o f herself for me

Dalton paused for breath ; Sir Robe rt C ecil hid h is face
from the flashing of his angry eye .

Dalton ! he said at length I cannot do i t honoured , ,

as I have been bearing so long an unspotted name venerated

, ,

at the court praise d by the people ! Beside s I am sure Sir

, ,

Willmott loves her h is whole conduct proves

Him to be what I have often decl ared h im and will ,

again once more a double distilled vil lain in terrupted

-

the Buccaneer with renewed energy But what is thi s to .

”
me ? he added stopping abruptly in the midst of his sen
,

tence What have I to do with i t ? My revenge upon you

both is certain unless m y own purpose be accomplished
,

an d it shall be accomplished for m y child s sake I will fi nd ’

o u t Sir W ill m ott and tell him so to h is teeth

'

,
Sir Ro bert .

C ecil farewel l ! You I suppose are a courtly a gentle manl y

, , , ,
”
father Pity that such should ever have children ! and
 M
204 . TH E B UCCANE E R .

A m a n o f blood and she shuddered at her ow n words

But I am sure o n e thing Mistress C ecil said w as true
’
that we are not to put faith i n all we hear N ow I believe .
,

all she says and all Robin Hays says and he speaks so kindly
,

o f you A nd another thing sir makes me think so well of

.
, ,

you is — that y ou knew m y father N ay I am sure you ,

did she continued laying h er hand o n his ar m and looking

,
.

into his coun tenance which he turned away to conceal his

,

emotion I a m certain y ou did Robin told me as much

.
, ,

an d is tr es s C onstance did not deny it and n ow that you are

~

here so gentle and so kind I am sure you will tell me Do

, , ,
.
,

dear good sir Did you not know m y father ? my p oor dear,
,
.

dear father I
’
All Dalton s resolutions of s ilence all h is resolves melted ,

into airy nothings at the sound o f that sweet soft voice Tears .
,

the only tears of pleasure that had for years moistened th e

cheek of the reckless Buccaneer burst fro m h is eyes : he could ,

not speak ; h e felt weak as a new born infant ; h is limbs -

trembled ; he would have fal len to the ground had not the ,

feeble girl supported him I n a m oment sh e perceived and

.

understood the whole truth a n d exclaimed , ,

Y ou you are my father

A nd yo u do not shrink ? Do not tu rn away fro m me ,

he said fondly How like your m other you are n o w that

.
,

your eyes are filled with love not fear ,

A nd my mother loved you ? she inquired .

A y girl , Why do you ask ?

.

Because replied Barbara laying her head on his bosom

, , ,

as if like a young bird she had found a home and peace

, , ,
‘

within th e p arent nest because if my mother loved you

, , ,
”
ou cannot be a bad man and I am satisfied
y .

The most beautiful feature in Barbara s character was as ’

we have said her trustfulness she had no idea of guilt She

, .

heard of crime as a thing abroad in the world bu t she could ,

never identify i t with persons her mind was a compou nd of

’

feeling and afl e c tion and wi th the beautiful and e arnest sim

p l ic ity of truth she per fectly believed that her father could
,

n o t be wicked .

I will tell my lady how m y m other loved y ou and then ,

”
sh e will know you cannot be the wild man we took you for .

Tell her nothing sweet abo ut me I n a l ittle time I

, , .
 TH E B U CCANEE R . 205

shall be able to take you to a proper home ; only mark this ,

ou must never go to the home of Sir Willmott Burrell

‘

y .

A h he is very wicked I have heard ; and yet you see

,

how wrong i t is to be lieve evil of any on e but I know that he

” ’
is evil if ever man was was the m aid s reply reverting
, , ,
’
almost unconsciously to her father s si tuation .

Let us talk of nothing evil Barbara during the few mo , ,

ments I can remai n with y ou now Remember you are to .

,

tell your lady nothing about me .

I do n o t s e e how I can help it .

Why
Because she has ever told me to tell her all things and I ,

have obeyed Ah sir

.
,
father you know not how good she ,

is to me and h ow s h e cries de ar lady

, '
E ver since this mar
,

r iage has been fi red upon she has wept unceasingly

,
.

The Buccaneer felt at the momen t as all parents must feel

w h o desire to preserve their ch ildren i n innocence and yet ,

themselves lead vicious lives To the wicked lies are as n e

.
,

ce s s ar
y as the air they breathe as common for use as household
,

stu ff Had Barbara been what is now termed a clever girl

.
,

the Buccaneer might have employed her not as an agent o f ,

falseh ood th a t his delicate love o f his child would have pre
v ented but as an instrument perhaps to work some delay in, ,

a wedding that h u mani ty i n dependent of o n e or two new and

,

latent causes called upon him to prevent but in any plot

,

where finesse was necessary he saw that Barb ara woul d be ,

per fectly useless ; and before taking his departure he only ,

told her she might i f she pleased in form Mistress C ecil but
, , ,

at the same time begged o f her not to repeat to any one else
that he had been there This Barbara promised to do and
.

on th e assurance that h e wo u ld soon return and enable her to ,

show her lady that instead of being the wild m an they both
,

took h i m for he w a s a very peaceable ( how the Buccanee r

,

s miled at the word person she su ffered him to depart an d

, ,

then w ent in to her little room to arrange her ideas and mingle
, ,

thanksgivings that she had found a father with prayers fo r his ,

 M
206 TH E B UCC A NE E R .

C H A PT E R V I .

B ut n o w , n o s tar c a n s h in e h ope be ot,

gt
,
no
w re tc e c r e a tu re ,
os t h d
h e n e w h is if k o 9

h d
A n d y e t m o re w r e tc e fa r ec a u s e h e b k n o ws it not .

l t Q t

Th e sw e ll i n g se a s ee th es i n h is n gr y w ves a a ,

A n d sm i tes t h e e ar t h t h a t d a es th e tr a i to rs n ou ri s h
r .

G I LES FL ETCHE R .

TH E Buccaneer failed not to inquire relati ve to the pretended

dumb bo y but without success he appeared to have vanish ed
,
.

“ uddenly from before their eyes and had left no trace behind
s , .

A fter despatching one or two trusty messengers on some parti

cu l ar embassies Dalton concealed himself in the secret recesses
,

of the crag until the evening fell su fficiently to enable him to

get o ff to the Fire fl y without attracting the obs ervati on of any
-

stragglers or persons w h o migh t be o n the watch fo r h i m or

,

his vessel which he had le ft as before under the su perintend

, , ,

ence of J e r o m io with strict orders to mo v e about off Sh eln ess

,

Point and the strand at Leysdown and to be ready on a

, , ,

particular signal to heave to and cast anchor nearly oppos it e

,
-

’
th e Gull s N est Three times had Dalton lighted his bea con
.

on the to o f the ruined tower and three times extingu ished

p ,

i t : the si gnal w as at length answered although not according ,

to his directions which were light for light The B u cc aneer

,
.

w as however satisfied
,
des c ended by the private stair to the
,

shore and pushed off his little boat having called in vain for
, ,
’
Spr ingall whom he h ad left at Gul l s N est in the morning
,
.

The motion of the oars w as but a mechanical accompaniment

to his though ts which wandered back to his ch ild to his next
, ,

beloved Walter and to the events th r ough which his che

, ,

quered life had passed during the last year Strong as was .

’
now Hugh Dalton s a ffec tion for h is daughter i t is doubtful if ,

i t would have had force enough to m ake hi m relinquish so

completely his wandering and ruthless habits and adopt the ,

design o f serving for a little time under the banner of the

C ommonwealt h before he completely gave up the sea had not
, ,

h is decl ining constitution warned him that at fift fi ve h e w as

y -

older than at thirty He had grown a wiser and a better man .

than when in middle age he ran fu ll tilt with his passions at

, ,

all things that impeded hi s progress or his views A long .

and dangerous illness off the C aribbees had sobered him more , ,
208 TH E B UCCA N B E R .

and admire even though he could nei ther approve nor sanction
, ,
’
the bravery of the F i re fl y s commander Dalton kne w this -
.
,

and in endeavouring to obtain an authorised ship acted

, ,

according to such knowledge He felt that C romwell would .

never pardon him unless he could make him useful ; a fe w

,

cruises in a registered vessel and then peace and Bar bara was , ,

his concluding thought whilst resting o n his oars he looked , , ,

u pon his beautiful brigantine as she rode upon the waters at a ,

long distance yet the heavens Spangled with innumerable stars

,

for her canopy and th e ocean the wide unfathomable ocean

, , ,

spreading from pole to pole circl ing the roun d earth as wit h ,

a gir dle for her dominion

, .

“
I t was one o f those e v enings that seem breathless with
adoration ; the gentleness of heaven was on the sea ; there
.was not a line not a ripple on the wide waste o f waters
,
the
“ ’
winds to use again the poe t s eloquent words
, were up , ,

gathered like sleeping flowers There was no light in the .

vessel s bow no twin kle from the shore no ship in sight

nothing that told of existence but his own Fire fl y couch -
,

ing on the ocean like a sleeping bird .

There is a demon spirit within her whispered Dal ton to ,

himself ; the sight of her sends me wild again Devil th at .

s h e is ! so beautiful ! so well proportioned Talk of the

’ ’

beauty of woman But I ll look to her no more I ll think

of her no more

He again applied him sel f to th e oar and was pulling stea ,

dily towards the ship when h is eye rested upon something ,

black and round in the water A gain he paused in his ex .

e r tion s an d lay to : the substance floa ted towards him

,
-
He .

would have shouted but no sailor is ever free fr om super

,

s titiou s qual m s o f one sort or another he remained silent ,

fixing his eye steadily upon the object A t last it came close .
,

quite close to the boat and in another instan t Spr ingall w as ,

seated in the prow .

“ ’
Good God ! Spring what s the matter ? are you mad ? ,
”
H as any thing occurred yonder ? exclaimed Dal ton some ,

what alarmed .

Hush replied the panting youth I can h ardly

breathe y e t The Skipper was going to pull towards the
.

ship but the youth laid his hand on that o f his master and ,

ej a culated Wait
,
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 209

Dalton complied and when Spr in gal l could speak he com

, ,

m u n icate d what as tonished the Buccaneer in no small degree

He said that having hunted about fo r the strange blade to
,

no purpose he tacked o ff towards the ship and told J er om io

, ,

his master h ad found that th e boy was no boy but a girl i n ,

disguise ; that he therefore desired J er om io to tell h im who

sh e really was as h e had secreted her on ship bo ar d k n ow in g
‘
-

, ,

perfectly well she was neither deaf nor dumb That J er om io

said as the master had fished i t up there was no u se i n
, ,

making an y bones about the matter ; for how it happened was ,

that whe n they were lying o ff St Vallery this girl whom he .

, ,

believed to be a J e w e ss o ffered him a large su m o f money if

,

he would secrete her on board at all events until the shi p ,

sailed and if
, after conc ealment was impossible he w ould
not betray her She stip u lated to h e landed upon the Kentish
.

coast and J e rom io adde d that he was sure she had a design ,

upon the li fe o f somebody and i t mi ght be easily guessed who , ,

as she prevailed on him to sho w her the use and management

o f fi r e arms and had
-
besides a dagger which she usually
, , , ,

carried in her bosom That as she wrote E nglish very im ,

perfectly she had bribed him to write a letter to Mist ress C ecil
, ,

saying that before God she was the wife of Si r W ill m o tt

, ,

Burrell an d t h at if she ( Mistress C ecil ) persisted in marry n

,

him sh e would be revenged

,
”

That he ( J e rom io) kept back

thi s let ter because he feared his hand writing migh t eventuall y
,
-

lead to a discovery that he had bee n the means of bringing her

to E ngland Sprin gal l detailed this intelligence in much less
.

time than it has occupied us to repeat i t and then pausing ,

But the worst is yet to come J e ro m io Master I w as .

,

righ t about that fellow — h ad hardly finished this account ,

when a boat hove ou t and at first we thought it was you but

, , , ,

presently who should c ome on board but Sir Willmott Burrell ,

as large as life ! Well J er om io was precious frightened as , ,

you may suppose and sai d it was to inquire after the Jewess
,
’
but he took the I talian into y our cabin and I can t bu t o w n ,

I was vastly anxious to know what they were saying

The greatest villain i n the world dislikes to be thou gh t a
lis tener o n the same principle that men would rather be
,

accused o f crime than cowar di ce o f vice than folly ; poor

Spr in gal l stopped and stammered u ntil commande d to go on .

p
 210 T H E B UCCANEE R .

I t was a fine day and thinking I should like a bath I , , ,

let my s elf down clos e by the cabin window with a rope The .

windo w w as open and as I hung hal f in and half ou t of the

,

water I cou ld hear every syll able they said the sea w as so
, ,

calm N ot a word about the J e w e ss but that p recious vil lain

.

was listening to a proposal made by the other villain to seize

ou this very nigh t in your ow n shi p and murder you ou t
y ,
’
,
’
,

right ! I t s true m as ter as I m alive ,

Then J e rom io sai d
,

it would be better to deliver you up as a rover to the govern , ,

m ent ; but Si r Willmott m ade reply th a t might answer h is ,

purpose but it would not do for h im Then he promi sed hi m

, .

a free pardon and tempted him with the ri ch es o f the C rag

, ,

and other things and as well as I could un derstand they , ,

fully agreed upo n i t A nd then for fear of disc overy I w as

.
, ,

mounting up when the rope as ill luck would have i t brok e

, ,
-

, ,

and I went tilt splash into th e water ! Well J e ro m io looked ,

o u t and swore at me ; but i t matte re d not

,
I sc r ambled u p ,

resol ving as you may suppose to keep a good loo k ou t but

, ,
-

that double de vil Sir W illmott w as at it again and would

, , ,

have it that I w as liste ning and so I was clapped under ,

M
hatches and hard enough I found it to steal off to you .

The villain excl aimed the Buccaneer But the thing .

is impracticable ; there are not more th an ten or a doze n of her

crew ashore : my brave fellows wo uld n ever see their captai n ,

murdered
O n what pre tex t I know not; but he h as during the ,

afternoon sent the long bo at o ff wi th the true st hands aboard

,
-
.

I heard the m e n ta lking a s the y passed backwards and ,

’
forwards that Bill 0 Dartmouth Sailing Jack Mat C o llins
, , , ,

and th e Fire fl y rovers as we used to cal l th em

-

,
tho se bo ys
w h o had been aboard with y ou in foreign parts had gone
ashore by your orders ; and I kno w there are fi ve o r six .
’ ’
t hose ar ti n ic o s and Sa r i n ios a nd th e devil s own O s th at
’
g , ,
’
are fore and aft in all thi n gs with J e r om io There s n o .

putting faith in any o f them seeing they have a natural ,

”
antipathy towards us E nglish So n o w let us put ba ck sir .
, , , .

Put back repeated Dalto n casting a look of sc orn U po n ,

poor Spr ingal l ; the man s n o t born who could m ake me put
’

back
’

The ship s my own and the sea the broad sea we ,

look u pon is mine as long as I have strength to dip an oar in

, ,

i ts brin e or w it to box a compass ! A v as t avas t ! bo y ; y ou

,
212 T H E B UCCAN E E R .

v io lently he said as calmly as if he were in the midst o f

,

friends ,
’
O ne m oment s prayer ; and thus I punish trai tors
There was a breathless silence o n e might have heard a pin
drop upon the deck th e very air seemed to listen within the
’
furled sails J e rom io s pistol fell from his gras p he clasped
.

his hands in agony and fall ing before the Buccaneer upon his
, ,

knees uttered a brief prayer for well he knew that Dalton

, ,

ne v er recalled a doom and he felt that all had been discovered !

,

I n another instant a flash passed along the ship and danced ,

i n garish ligh t over the quiet se a ! The bull et shattered a

brain ever ready to plot but never powerful to execute Wit h
, .

unmoved aspect D alton replaced the weapon and planting his ,

foot upon the prostrate dead drew another from his belt , .

Spr in gall w as still by his side ready to live or die with his ,

comman der .

C ome on ! come on ! said Dalton a fter surveying the ,

small and trembling band of mutinee rs as a lion of the A fri c , “

deserts gazes upon a herd o f bou n ds by whom he is beset .

C ome o n and the sentence sounded like the toll ing o f a

d eath bell over the waters so fi rmly yet solemnly was i t pro
-

n ou n ce d as if the hearts of a thousand men were in it

, .

C ome o n ! A re ye afraid ? We are but two O r are ye .

still men and do ye think upon the time when I led ye on to

v i ctory
,
when I divided the spoil o f many lan ds among ye ?
Ye are friends — coun tryme n o f this that w as a man yet
if ye will ye shall j udge bet w een us Did I deserve this
,
.

treachery at his hands ? C an on e of ye accuse me o f in

j ustice
A loud a reiterated
,
N o answere d this appeal and the , ,

m utineers rushed forward not to sei ze on but to lay dow n , ,

their weapo ns at the feet of their captain .

”
Take up your arms said Dalton after castin g his eye
, ,

o v er them and perceiving at a single gl ance that they had

,

truly delivered them all Take up your arms : ye were

.

”
only beguiled ye are too true to be reall y treacherous .

This m ost wi se compl iment operated as oil o n the tumul tuous

sea : the ship mob fancied they were ac ting accordi ng to th e
-

dic tates of reason when they were really u nder the i nfluence
,

o f fear , and then they aroused the tranquill i ty of the night ,

 TH E :
B UCCANE ER . 213

shouting long and l oudly for the Fire fl y and the brave Buc -

caneer
A lthough J e rom i o had cunningly despatched several of
’
D al ton s most approved friends in the long boat to the shore -

on some pretended business yet others had been secured ,

below an d w hen they were li berated they created great an d

, ,

M
n oisy j u bil e e at what they j estingly called
1 the Restoration .

Sprin gall had orders to distribute among them and w ith oil t ,

d istinction abundance of rum while Dalton retired to h is

M
, ,

cabin still unmoved to pen some despatches which he deemed

, , ,

necess ary to send to the main l and that nigh t .

When he returned on deck the revellers had retir ed and , ,

the watch was set Many of the stars that had witnessed the
.

events we have recorded had sunk an d others had risen in ,

’
their stead The midnight air was chill and cold J er om io s
.

body lay where it had fallen sti ffening in its gore ; for no on e ,
’
cared to meddle wi th it ti ll the Skipper s pleasure was known
as to h o w it was to be disposed of Dalton gazed u pon it but .

for an instant and then ordered that a man named

,
ud
y the ,

black and butcher of the ship should attend him

, ,
.

” " ’
Here ud he exclaimed ch Op me off th at rascal s
, y , ,

head — quick do i t ! The brute carelessly performed his

,

task. N o w roll the carcass in a sail and being well leaded , , ,

thro w i t overboard l Vr ap me the head in a clean napkin I

.

would fain make a present to Sir Willmott Burrell a w ed

ding present he may think it if he will The head to which ,
.

he trusted will serve the purpose well I will not send you .
,
”
Spr in gal l on this errand he continued laying his hand gently
, , ,

on the sho u lder of the trembling boy w h o sickened at the dis ,

“
gusting sight G o to your hammock ; y ou shall not sleep
.

there many nights more Y ou are too good for such a life as
.

this
H e then directed two of his men to row to land and leave ,

the parcel at the gate o f C ecil Place He also gave them other .

packets to deliver wi th orders to those o f his crew who were

,
.

still on shore and then his ship being under sail for another
,

division of the coast like a mighty but perturbed spirit he

, ,

paced the deck till morning .

 TH E B UCC ANE E R .

C H A PT E R VI I .

I am n o t pro n e to w ee pi n g as o u r se x
Co m m o n ly ar e ; th e w an t o f w h i c h v a m de w
P e rc h a n ce s h a ll dr y y o u r p i n es bu t I h ave
T h at h o n ou r ab l e g r i f l od g d h e r e w h i c h b u r ns
’
e ,

W orse th an tears d row n . SH AKS P E ARE .

IT is curious to note how di ffer en tly persons known to each

other an d it may be endeared by the ti es o f relationship or
, , , ,

the still stronger ones of friendship are occu pied at some pre ,

cise moment although separated but by a little di stance and

, ,

for a brief space of time Life is one great kal eidos cope where
.
,

it is difficult to look upon the same pi cture twice ; s o varied

are i ts posi tions and s o numerous its con trasts according to
, ,

the will o f those who move and govern its machiner y Whi le .

the hand o f the Buccaneer w as dyed in bloo d his ch il d was ,

s leeping calmly o n h e r pillow Sir Robert C e cil pondering

over the events of the day and drawing c onclusions as to th e,

future from which even h 0pe was excl u de d

,
Sir Will mott
Burrell exulting in what be de emed the maste r stroke of h is -

genius ; — and C onstan ce C ecil t h e fountain of whose tears ,

w as dried up permitted Lady Fran ces C romwell to s it up with

,

her while sh e assorted various letters papers an d other mat

, , ,
o

ters of real or imaginary value of which she was posses sed

, , .

Within that chamber on e woul d have thought that Death was

th e expec ted bri degroom s o sadl y and so s olemnly did th e
,

brid e o f the morrow move and speak She had ce ased to dis .

course of th e approaching ch an ge and conversed with h e r friend ,

only at intervals upon topics of a trifling nature but i n such

,

a tone and with such a manner as betrayed th e aching heart ;

, ,

seldom waiting for or hearing a reply and sighi n g heavily as

, , ,

every senten ce obtained utterance Her companion fell in to .

h e r mood with a kindness and gentleness hardly to be expected

,

from on e so light and mirthful .

I am sure she o bserved , I have deeper cause for grie f,

than y ou Constan tia ; m y father i s s o obs tin a te about Mr

, .

Ri ch . H e treats h i s family as he does th e acts of his parli a

ment an d tries to make u s e o f both for the good of the
,

coun tr y .

C onstantia smi l ed a smile of bitterness Lady Frances little

knew the a rrow the poisoned arrow that rankled in her bosom
,
,
.
216 T H E B U CCA N E E R .

example and precept to light us through the dark world w e

,
'

must fo r a fe w years tread .

But I have heard tidings lately and from the L ady C lay ,
’
pole too of which methinks to y our mother s friend y ou
, , , ,

have been over chary Ah m aidens care n o t to prate of their

.

love aflair s to matrons Silly things ! they woul d go their ow n

'
.

course and think for them selves ! without knowing how to go

, ,

or what to thi nk The besetting si n of youth is pr esu m

p
tion : but it is not you r sin m y gentle girl ; i t was some,

species o f modesty withheld your pen yet I heard i t My .

husband al bei t not a very frequent guest at Whitehall pays

, ,

his respec ts there sometimes mainl y o u t of his duty and regard

,

to the Lady C laypole for h e is n o scorner of our sex and ,

holds it a privilege to converse with W i se and ho ly women .

She informed him and n o t as a matter of secre cy that you

, ,

would soon be wedded to Sir Willmott Burrell and although ,

w e know him n o t we rea dily believe that he is a good and

,

honest gentleman commanding our esteem because beloved o f

, ,

y ou the which I pray y ou

, ad v ise him of and say we ,

hope he will number us among his friends I never doubted .

your wisdom C onstantia an d those cannot wed well who

, ,

do not wed wisely By wisely I do not mean that longing

.
,

after foolish gain and worldly aggrandisement which vain ,

women alas ! covet m ore than the enj oyment o f tin ir li ves
,

and the salvation o f their souls I would have a wo man seek .

for her husband on e whom sh e can love with an ardent but not ,

idolat ro u s passion capable of being a firm consistent fn e n d ;

’

who has su fficient knowledge and virtue to sit in counc il vi th in '

her bosom and di rect h er i n all things Having fou n d s u ch

,
.
,

the wi fe should desire and stri v e to be as a very faithful mirror ,

reflecting truly however diml y h is o w n virtues I hav ebeen

, , .

long wedded and thank Go d most happily s o We have

, , , .

become as a proverb among our friends and matrons vhen ,

they bless their daughters at the altar wish them to be as ,

happy as Lucy Hutchinson H ad your bles sed mother li ved . ,

m y advice might have been almost impertinent ; but n o w I ,

am sure you will n ot take it ill o f a most true friend to spe d:

a little counsel : my words may be but as dew drops yet the re -
,

is a spiri t within y ou that can con vert them into pe arls B ut .

counsel o u ght to be preceded by prayer and I have praye d

—Will y ou tak e ill the supplication I know you will not .
 . TH E B UCC AN E E R . 217

I am als o sure that you will n ot consider un acceptable the

prayer I am abou t to transcribe in this m y letter I t w as .
.

written by my dear husband , some time a fte r the exceeding

good ness of God made u s on e an d we feel much comfort and
.

M
encouragement in repeating i t each m om an d eve ere the cares ,

and turmoils of the day are come o r when they have departed , .

May i t have a like influence on y ou my swee t friend May ,

your destiny be as mine !

O L ord , di v i n e
ite r o f tr u e h e ar ts Gran t to th y s e r van t s an
un

i n c r e as e o f th a t bl e s se d g i ft o f grac e w h i c h is w ro u gh t i n to th e s o u l
b y th y re ge n e r at in g Sp i r it th a t s o th e w h o l e c r e a t u re m a y b e r e
,

s i n ed u n to th y w i l l h u m an l o v e be s u b s e r v ie n t to t h a t w h ic h is
g ,

h e a v e n l y a n d a l l its th o u g h t s h o p e s a n d ac t io n s be di r e c t e d to th y
, , ,

g l o y w ith w h o m is its s o u r c e a n d fr o m w h o m its b le ss i n g c o m e t h :

r , ,

T w o p r a y u n to th e e as o n e o n e in h ea r t o n e in in te r e s t o n e fo r t im e
, , , ,

o n e fo r e te r n it
y S o. m a
y i t e v e r be 0 L o r d ! o u r a k e r a n d ou r ,

g u i de o u r p r o te c to r a n d o u r fr ie n d
, W e bl e s an d th a n k th e e fo r th e
. s

c o m fo r t w e h a v e fo u n d in ea c h o th e r fo r th e w orl dly p ro s p e r ity to ,

w h ic h v irtu e t r u s t fu l n e s s an d fa ith in th y c ar e h a v e c o n du c t e d u s ;
‘

, i ,

fo r th e m u t u al es t e e m c o n fi de c e a n d a ffe c t io n t h a t s w ay an d di r e c t
,
n ,

o u r fra il n a tu re s b u t a b o v e a l l
, , fo r th e s u r e a n d c e rt a in k n o w l e dge
,

t h at w h e n o u r m o r tal sh a l l h a v e pu t o n im m ortal ity w e sh a l l be ON E ,

u n div ide d in s e p a rabl e a n d e t e r n al

’
, , .

Tis
brie f C ons ta ntia but lo n g supplications too often
, ,

lose in spirit that which the heart cannot make up in words .

Prayer s hould be the concentrate d essen ce of Humi l ity per ,

fumed by Hope and elevated by Fai th but you know all

, ,

this as well as I I would n ot presum e to instruct or give

.
,

o u advice u pon any point save this mo s t blessed o r m ost

y ,

m iserable on e ( to a mind like yours it can have n o medium )

-
marri ag e Many young females are begu iled by evil coun
s el an d thus commence i n a careless o r obstinate co urse w h ich
, ,

leads them in to the thorn y path of disconte nt and conse q uent ,

wretchedness A nd first of all do n ot fancy that petty tyran

.
, ,

nies become a bride I t is the habit o f the bridegroom to yield

.

to such like ; but trust me he loves you not the better for
, ,

weak fantasies unless he be a fool ; and I pen no lines for

,

fools or fools ’mates I have n o sympathy with a woman

, . .

weak or wicked enough to wed a fool I n the honeymoon .

,

then study your husband s temper ; fo r the best of men — and

’

women too carry ( i t may be unconsciously ) a mask during

th e days of courtship which if not taken o ff wears OH; and , , ,
218 TH E BU OOA N E E R .

y bu m ust strive to know h im as h e really i s ; remembering

that though love r s may be an ge ls hu s ba n ds are only mortals ,
.

Looking withi n at th e imperfec ti on o f our own n ature we learn ,

to make al lowan ce for the faults they m ay posse s s .

For my own pa rt my only won der h as been h o w a m an ,

,

like C ol onel Hutchinso n could so kindly pi ty m y in fi rm itie s

, ,

and correct them after such a fashion that his blam e has ever
sounded s w eeter in my ears than the prai se o f th e whole world
bes ides H e has looked upon m y errors with an indulgen t
.

eye and not su ffere d them to detract fro m h is esteem and love
,

for me while i t has been his tender care to erase all thos e
,

blots which made me appear less worthy the respect h e eve r y

where pays me .

O ne thing although I hardly need reca ll i t to a mind like

,

yours is above all else necessary to be remem bere d

, , , that a
m aiden has only her o w n honour in keeping but a wi fe h as ,
’
h er h u sba n d s as well as her o w n
_
I t was a fine sa ying that of .

the ancient Rom an : The wife of C aesar must not be su s

‘

’
pected Sus picion is too often as the plague spot the intim ater
.
,
-
,

o f a disease which may either break o u t or be suppressed by

, ,

care or circumstances but still the intimation has gone forth .

Reserve is the becoming garment for the wedded wife that

sweet reserve springing from holy love which the chastened ,

eye the m od erated smile the elevated carriage

, all betoken
,

a something which a pure heart alo ne can tea ch and that ,

a sullied woman never can assume Stu dy the accomplish .

men ts your husband loves wi th continued ass id uity : he may

delight in see ing the bea uties o f his estate miniatured by you r
penci l or th e foliage o f a favouri te tree doome d to perpetu al
,

spring on your obedien t canvass or peradventure delight , ,

more in the so ft touching o f your lu te or h arpsichord : wha t

ever i t may be , study to do it quickly and c ulti vate your taste ,

unto his pleasure I say do i t quickly in the early days of

.
-

, ,

marriage becau se habit is a most tyrannical master Then

,
.
,

when your affections and your customs tend to the same e n d ,

an d are more over uided by the all p owerful hand of duty

g
-

, , ,

and under the es pecial control of godlines s I have little doubt ,

that y ou will make all that a wife should be .

I would fai n counsel you on the custo m of a neat and be ~

coming attire bu t I have observed that you ever habit your

s elf from an innate consciousness of what is j ust and becoming
,
220 TH E B UCCANEE R .

have written an hom ily b ut for give i t C onstance and take i t , ,

as it is intended .

I hear the Lady Frances is with you I pray you call .

me to her remembrance She is a lively but honourable lady

.
,

and I sho u ld be glad that Mr Rich found favour i n the sight .

o f her father ; for I do believe her heart has been fixed at ,

least more fixed upon him than upon any other for some time ,
.

We have been passing a few days i n this dear spot — the nest ,

I may well call it o f our a ffections My husband in the days

,
.
,

of his bachelorhood had been cautioned to take heed of Rich

,

m ond as a place so fatal to love that never any disengaged

, ,

yo u ng person went thither who returned again free an d I .

“

wonder not at i t for there i s a sober and most happy beauty in

,

its very aspect that tranqui lli ses and composes the thoughts to
,

gentleness and a ffection We have visi ted ou r old music .

master at whose house we both boarded for the practi ce of th e

,

lute ! H e was so pleased to find I still studied ! observing

that m any married ladies relinquished it soon and he praised
’
my husband s execution on the vi ol in no sm all deg ree .

'

A dieu my dear young fri end We crave earnestly to be

, .

kindly thought of by him whom your soul deligh teth to

honour " May the blessing of the Lord d w ell within your
house and sanctify all things for your good ! Suc h i s the
,

prayer of your true and loving friend ,

LU C Y HU T C H I N SON .

My h u sband who is indeed a m ost kind counsellor in all

,

things says that I ought to tender any assistance I can o ffer

, ,

seeing that I am near London and you may requ ire sundry ,

habits befitting a bridal ; if so comman d my services as ,

fully as you do my a ffections .

Lady Frances placed the letter on C onstantia s writing ’

table and for som e time o ffered no observation on its contents

,
.

”
I s n o t she a beautiful model for a married woman ?
inquired C onstantia .

It was very good of her to remember a giddy pate like

me repli ed Frances ;
, and I do confess that she is one of
my perfections though in general I hate your pattern women
,
-
,

w here every thing is fitted and fitting women of plas ter and
parchm ent — to cut one s character by who are to be spoken
’
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 22 l
'

of, not to who can make n o excuse for people s faili ngs be ,

cause they think they are themselves exempt from fault ; who
study devout looks an d leer at their lovers from under their
,

hoods hole and corner fl irts yet held up as pattern

- -

women bless the ter m

,
to in n ocen t and laughter loving -

maidens like myself who having no evil to conceal speak

, ,

openly and love not the conventicle

,
.

But Mrs Hutchins o n is none of these i nterru pted Con

.
,

stance . She is pure in heart — in word — in look She .

really has nothing to conceal ; she is all purity and gr a ce and ,

with her husband shared for years the friendship of th e illus

”
tr iou s Selden and A rchbishop U sher .

”
Well I am willing to admi t all this retorted Fran ces
, , ,
’
eager to catch at any thing to divert h er fr ie n d s melan choly
'

But for all th at I never co uld feel easy in the society of

, ,

your very wise people it is n o t p l easant to know that those

ou are speaking to regard y ou as a fool though they may be
y ,

too w el L br e d to tell you so A n d now I remember a story

.

about Selden that always amused me much When he was .

appointed amon g the lay members to sit in the A ssembly of

Divines at Westminster one of the ministers wi th al l the, ,

outward show of self su ffi cie n t ign or an ce de cl are d that the

-

,
.

sea could n ot be at any very great distan ce from Jer usalem

that as fish was frequently carried from the first to the last .

place the interval did n ot probably exceed thirty miles ! and

,

having concocted this Opinion he gave it forth as it had been , ,

one of the l aws o f the Medes and Persians which altereth ,

not ! Well the Synod were about to adopt this inference

, ,

when Selden quietly observe d that i n all likelihood it was ,

’
salt fish ! Was not that excellent ?
Yet his wit in my estimation was his least good qualit y
, , .

Methinks the C ommonwealth has reason to be most proud of

two such m e n as John Selden an d A rchbishop U sher .

’
But the glory has departed from Israel was Frances ,
”
reply ,
for they are gathered to their fathers .

”
The su n may be shorn of its beam s said C onstantia , ,

with something o f her former energy o f manner but i t is ,

”
still a sun C romwell i s th e Protector o f E ngland !
.

’
That was th e rallying point o f Lady Fran ces feelings and ,

she embraced her frien d with in creased a ffection .

”
I l ove y ou more than all said the kind girl for, ,
~
 222 TH E B u cc an e e rs .

your app reciation o f my father ; I only hope that po s terity

may do h im equal j ustice But why I ask again dea r Con .
, ,

stance have y o u n ot permitted m e to speak to h i m about this

,

wedding ? You reap sorrow and not j oy o f the contr act , , .

Well well she continued perfectly understandi ng C on stan

, , ,

tia s mute ap peal for silen c e

’
I will say n o more for I ough t , ,

to be satisfied with the privi le ge of be ing th us enabled to dis .

turb the solitude you con sider so s weet .

”
H o w le s sened exclai me d C o n s tance ,
I must appear ,

in the eyes of all good and wis e pe e pl e ! How they w ill j eer
at the lofty Mistress C ecil selli ng herself for — they kno w
not what
L essened repe ate d France s on th e contrary You .

certainly do sacrifice yoursel f to fu lfil thi s contract ; but that

deser v e s praise Bes ides B urr ell is a m an who m many ad
.
,

m i re .

There talk not o f it Frances — talk not o f i t : h en ce

, ,

forth the world and I are two

,
I mi x no m ore in i t, nor
with it .

N ow o u t upon you for a mos t silly lady

,
retorte d L a dy
Frances I t may be my fate despite the affection I h e ar
.
,

p oo r Rich ( I li ke the linking of th e se words

) to wed som e ,

other man — one w h o will p lease my father and benefi t the

state I s not the misery o f bein g chain ed to a thing y ou
.

loathe and detest su fficien t cause fo r trouble withou t em ul a t ,

ing bats and owls ! N o no if I m u s t be ir ou ed, I will cove r ,

m y fet ters wi th flowers —they shall be perfumed and trick ed , ,

and trimmed I shall see y ou gay at cour t de ar C onstance

.
, .

Besides if you are to be married y ou mu s t ne t twine will o w

, ,

with your bridal roses that will never do

’
The re w as no smile upon C onstantia s li ps at h er friend s ’

kind and conti nue d e ffo rts to remove the weigh t that presse d
upo n her heart .

This is the last night that I can dare tru s t m y self to speak
”
of Walter Frances she said after a long pau se
.
,
I have , ,

no fears for his personal safety because I k now with whom he ,

left t h is house but on e thing I would say and if my dear , ,

est kindest friend I have no t pra ted to you of my sorrows

, ,

j oys alas I have not to communicate

, i t is becau se I must
n ot. With all the childish feeling of a girl you have a
’ ’
woman s h e art true and suscep tible as ever beat in wom an s
, ,
224 TH E B UCCAN E E R . s

M
echoes one tone and that is a melodious melancholy Shall I
, .

’ ’ ’
sing you Withers Shepherd s Resolution my father s ,
’

’
rhyming Maj or ge n eral who lorded i t so sturd ily over th e
-

county of Surrey ? For m y own part I like the s pirit o f th e ,

man particularly as i t comes forth in the third verse

,
A nd .

with subdued sportiveness sh e sung :

S h all a w om a n s vi rtu es m ove
’

e to pe n s h fo r b e r l o v e
Or ll
.

h e r w e d ese r v m gs k n o w n e ,
k e m e q u i te for get m m e o w n e
a

B e s h e w i th t h a t g oo d n e s bl es t s
W h i c h m a y m e ri t n am e o f be t ; s
If s h e be n t s u c h to m eo

W h a t c a re 1h o w goo d s he be
G r e at o r go od o r la nd o r fa i r
, ,
I W l l l n e e r th e m o r e d es pa i r ;
’

I f h e l ove m e th i s be l i e e
s ,
v
,
I W i l l d i e e re s h e s h a l l g r i e ve .

If sh e sl i gh t m e Wh e n I w oo e ,

I ca n sc o n e an d l e t h e r g o e
r

I f s h e be n t fi t f r m e
,
o o ,

W h at c r e I for w h o m s h e be
a

Do you not admire it C onsta ntia ? she s aid , .

A dmire what ?
Why the con ceit o f the song
,
.

I fear I did n ot heed i t I w as thinking of of .

somethin g else .

Shall I sing i t again

N ot to night dearest : and yet you may ; methinks it is
-

the last night I shall ever listen to minstrelsy not but that
there is philosophy in music for it teaches u s to forget care ,

i t is to the ear what perfume is to the s mell H o w ex q u isi te .

is music ! the only earthly j o y of which we are assured we

"
sh all taste in heaven Play on . .

L ady Frances agai n sung th e lay but wi th less spiri t than ,

before for she felt i t was unheeded by her friend and she laid
, ,

the lute silently on the ground when she had finished .

Do you know said C onstance after a time

, I pity your , ,

waiting lady who was married to Jerry White as you call

, ,
”
him so unceremoniously
, .

Pi ty her ! repeated Lady Frances with as disdainful a ,

toss o f her head as if she h ad always formed a part of the

,

aristocracy Pity her ! methinks the maid w as well o ff to

.

obtain the m an who aspired to her mistress .

 TH E B U CCA N E E R . 225

“ But sh e loved h im not observed C onstan tia in a sad , ,

vorce .

Poor Jerry laughed Lady Frances how could sh e l ove ,

h im the C ommonwealth j ester ; wanting only cap be l ls , and ,

a hobby horse to be fool par ex c el le n ce of the British domi

-
, , ,

nions ? A nd yet he is no fool either m ore knave than fool,

though m y father caught him at last .

I t was a severe jest said C onstantia ,

.

Why it was — but verily I believe m y father though t

,
-

there was danger of having two fools at his court instead of ,

on e
. I t was after this fashion Jerry presumed a good deal .

upon the encour agement h is Highness h a d given him for th e

Protector loves a j est as well as any w hen there is nobody by ,

to repeat it to the grave ones : and his chaplain , Jerry White ,

chimed in with h is humour and w as well timed in his con ,

-

ce its and this so pleased my good father that he su ffered h im ,

m uch in private about his person So he fell or pretended to .

,

fall desperately in love with my giddy self I t was j ust at the

, .

time too when C harles Stuart made h is overtures of marriage

, , ,
’
that s o caugh t my m other s fancy ; and m y imagination w as
m arvellously m ov e d by two such strings to my bo w a pr in ce

and a preacher a rogue an d a fool : only think of i t C on ,

stantia ! H owever Jerry grew much too ten der and I began
, ,

to think seriously I was going too far ; s o I told m y sister

Mary and I am sure sh e told m y father ; for as I was passing
, ,

through a private an teroo m at Whitehall his reverence was ,

there in ambus h and commenced his usual j argon of l ove and

,

dove faith fulness and fidel ity gentleness and gentility and at
, , ,

last fell upo n his knees while I hal f laughing and half won
, , ,

dering how h is rhapsody woul d end as end i t must Well , ,

’
there ! fancy Jerry s countenance clasped hands and bended , ,

k nees ! and I pull ing my ho od ( I had j ust retur ned from a walk )
over m y face to conceal my merriment trying to disengage m y ,

hand from the crea tu re s claws — when I really don t kno w

’ ’

how but there stood my father before me with a half smile on

, ,

h i s li p and h is usual severity o f aspect

,
.

My chaplain at prayers ! you are mighty de vout me ,

’
thinks he said in h is coldest voice Jerry stammered and
, , .
,

s tumbled and entangled his leg i n ari s ing with the point of m y
,
’ ’

father s sword ; and then m y father s choler rose and h e ,

stormed ou t, Th e meaning sir the meanin g of th is idol atrous

, ,

Q
M
226 TH E B UCCANEE R ,

m u mmery ? what would ye of my daughter the Lady Frances ,

’
C romwell ? A nd Jerry like all men though he could get , ,

M
i nto a scrape had not much tact at getting out ; s o he looked
,

to me for assistan c e — and I gave it He is enamoured .

‘
,
’
please your Highness said I wi th m ore wit than grace, of, ,
’
i stress Mabel my chief lady , Then having got the clue .
, ,

Jerry went on without hesitation : And I was praying m y ‘

L ady Fran ces that she would i nter fere and prevent Mistres s ,

Mabel from exercising so much severity towards her faithful

’
servant . What ho said his H ighness without there ,
‘

w h o waits ? O ne of the pages ente red on the instant Send

’
.

’
h ither he commanded
,
Mistress Mabel and also that holy
,
‘
,

m an of the E piscopal faith w h o now tarrieth wi thin the house

’
, .

Jerry looked confounded and I trembled from head to foot , .

abel with her sil ly face entered almost at the m oment

, , .

’
A nd pray Mistress Mabel said m y father what have you
, , ,

to sa y against my chaplain ? or why should you not he married

forthwith to this chosen vessel Jeremiah Whi te ? A nd Mabel , ,

equally astonished blushed and courtesied and cou rtesied and

, ,

blushed Then m y father fl inging off his hat and m ailed

.
,

g loves
,
ordered the E piscopalian to perform the ceremony on
t h e instant adding he would take the place o f father and I
, , ,

that of bridesmaid I t was lik e a dream to us all ! I never

.

s hall forget it and Jerry n ever can i t w as most wonderfully

c omic O nly imagine it C ons tance ! ,

Lady Frances had bee n so carried away by her mirth ful

imagi n ing that she h ad little heeded her mourn ful friend nor
,

w as it till her last sen tence O nly imagine it C onstan ce ,

-
that she looked fully u pon h e r .

Hush m urmured C onstantia in a hollow tone hush !

sh e repeated .

”
Merciful Heaven what is it ? inquired Frances terr i ,

fi e d at her earnestness .

”
Hush ! again said C onstantia : adding “ Do you not ,

hear ?
Hear ? I hear nothing but the tolli ng of the m idnight
’ ’
bell Tis twelve o clock .

”
It is said C onstantia in a voice trembling wi th intense
, ,
’
suffering ; i t is twelve o clock My wedding day is -

”
i ndeed come !
228 TH E B U COA N E E R .

Of the serving men at Whitehall to recognise their pl ay fello w

- o

,
’
Sir Willmott B urr ell s valet in the gipsy looki ng rascal into ,
-

which I ha ve of myself manufactured myself ! Verily Robin

, , , ,

thou art a most ingenious fellow A pt at contrivances —even

nature is thy debtor for thou hast increased her deformity I
,

could gain no tidings o f the C aval ier in m y own proper person

of that I am certain because the people th e re Z
w il l either not
know or be so e ffectually cautioned
,
there would be no use
’
in fi shing in such water A h your heart s blood Puritans will
.

never defile themselves by questioning such as me Sli fe I .

’

think O ld N oll himself could hardly make me ou t ! I wonder

what woul d Barbara say now if sh e were to behold me in this ,
’
disguise ! I should not like her to see me and that s the ,

truth for no man likes to look worse than he is to his mis

tres s and the devil knows I can ill spare my beauty
, , , My
bea u ty he thought again and then chuckled on e Of his v ile,

laughs the most decided indicators Of a scornful and bitter

,

temper .

Robin did n ot p u rsue the high London road but struck ,

across the Park and h is love of fine scenery induced h im to

pause at the top o f Greenwich Hill and look around on the ,

ri chness and be auty Of the prospect Flowing to the right .

,

the broad and glorious Thames turned its liquid mirror to the
skies and reflected every passing cloud upon its translucen t
,

bosom But our noble ri ver had more than clouds to shadow
.

it the treasures of the universe floated for us upon i ts

-

wave the spoils of conquered and humbled nations left thei r

track along its shores Spain France and either India ,the ,

whole world rendered us homage and paid u s tribute and

, ,

proud was ou r o w n Father Thames to bear that homage and

that tribute to h is favoured city Well might the great .

o f St Paul erect its h eavy but majestic head and pee

.
,

through the first beams Of day upon the rich and blessed
Robin felt his heart swell within his bosom w hen b e
down upon the waters and the land Of whi ch every E
man is so j ustly proud I t is my own coun try !
.

his emphatic ej aculation as he gaze ,

E nglish wealth and E nglish cultivation The li .

Greenwich straggling at the foo t Of the hi ll

, ,

closely to the palace and then wanderi n g along th

,

and London road formed a more pleasant Obj ect

,
 TH E B UCCA N EE R . 229

n ow tha t it has be en magnified i nto a great and popul ous town .

Man y wooden cottages nested under the Park walls and sen t ,

their smoke curli ng through the foliage Of the fi ne trees that

formed a bold rich back ground
,
The palace extending i ts
-
.
,
’
squares and courts along the river s brink gave an air of dig ,

n it to the whole scene

y while the tinkling music Of the sheep
bells echoing from the heath , lent to it a so ft an d harmonising
,

e ffect O n the river in the extreme distance an E nglish ve s

.
, ,

s el was towing u p some Of the Spanish prizes which the

gallant Blake had forwarded to their future home : they trailed
the water heavily and gloomily like cap tives as they were and ,

their dismantled and battered aspect a fforded ample subj ect for
discourse to a group Of Old sailors who though not yet pos , ,

sessed Of their Palace Hospital found many convenien t dwell

-
,

ings i n the vill age and added not a little to the picturesque
,

appearance of the h ill as congregated in a small party they

, , ,

handed a rude spy glass from on e to another

-

A n d to l d h ow s h ip s w e re w on .
”

Ah said o n e veteran I heard Old Blake mysel f s ay , ,

soon after his Highness was made the same a s a king and ,

m any lubberly scoundrels put u p their backs at it

says he and my eyes ! h o w n obly he does stand upon the deck
, ,

0 his o wn ship the Triumph !

’ ’ ’
‘
,
Boys says he i t i sn t , ,
‘

for us to mind state a ffairs but keep foreigners from fooling ,

D — n it th a t s what I cal l E nglish

’ ”
us ,
.

”
SO i t is ,
continued another whose weather beaten body ,
-

was supported on a pair of wooden legs and who had j ust ,

j oined the l ittle party Of which Robin m ade on e ; s o i t is ,

Jack an d what I call E nglish worth ten books full Of other

, ,
’
lingo ; wasn t I with h im in Fifty three when with only -

, ,

twelve vessels he beat Van Tromp who had seventy ships Of

, ,

the line and three hundred merchantmen under convoy ? and

’
hadn t the Triumph seven hundred shot in her hull ? Well ,
’
though it was there I lost my precious limbs I don t grudge ,
’
them not I it s as well to go to the fish as to the worms
, ,
” ’
and any how we have the king s pension .

”
Jemmy said a waggish looking sailor with on l y one eye
,
-

and hal f an arm twirling some tobacco in his m on th at the

,
“
Jemm y it s rum talking about royalty — you
’
cam e time ,

forget
23 0 TH E B UCCANEE R .

’
I t s no such thing as rum talking Terry ; I don t mind
’

wh o governs E ngland — she s E ngland still I t w arms my

’
.

blood too to think Of the respect paid th e U ni on Jack by all

, ,

nations When ou r admiral God bless him was in the road

. ,
’

o f C a diz a Dutch fellow didn t dare to hoist his flag

,
so ye ,
’

s e e the Dutch knows what s what though both men and ships
, ,
”
are heavy sailors .

“ ” “
Yes chimed in the first speaker
,
that was the time ,

when his health w as drunk with a salute Of five guns by one

’
Of the French commanders : and i t s noble so it is to see , ,

the order h e keeps those A lgerines in Why if i n searching .

,

th e Sallee rovers they found an E nglish prisoner aboard they ,

sent him Off to Blake as civil as possible h Opin g to get favour ,

.

’
But that didn t hinder h im from peppering both the Dey of
”
A lgiers and th e infidel rascal at Tunis
, .

I hear that the burning Of the Spanish ships in th e

”
Road Of Santa C ruz was the most wonderful thing ever done ,
’
Observed he Of the wooden legs ; an d i t s desperate bad news
’
that he s taken on for sickness for sur e am I that the Pro ,

tector will never have so faithful a friend or so good a ser ,

vant A nd so I told the sergeant o r whatever you choose to

.
,
’
call him of the Iro n sides w h o stopped at the O liver s Head
, , ,

down belo w yesterday to ba it horses or some s u ch thing : , ,

says I If Blake goes let your master look to himself — But

, , .
’

I hate all soldiers — lubberly sulky black looking fellows no , ,

-

’
s pirit in them particularly now whe n it s the fashion not to
, ,

drink or swear or do any thing for div ersion — ugh

, , A nd
th e Old man s ire against the “ land lubbers
’
grew so hot -
,

t hat he turned away and stumped sto utly down the hill , .

Robin was not tardy in following nor long in getting in to ,

“
conversation though the remembrance Of the land lubbers
,
’
still rankled in the Old man s mind .

’ ”
Here s a most excellent glass said Robin pull ing a pocket , ,

glass from his vest and showing it to the sailor you can
,
”
count the very shot holes in the vessel they are towing up -
.

The sailor took i t with a sneer Of incredulity and a glance

Of distrust at the speaker but neither were of long du ration , .
”
Yes said be after ga zing through it attentively for some
, ,
“
’
minutes ; yes that is something like what I call a glass
, .

Gad it makes me young again to see those marks — every

,

bul let had its billet I warr ant me The e ye you have left , .
,
23 2 TH E B UCCANEE R .

’
H aving settled the exchange which ended in Robin s r e ceiv ,

ing a s m all Span ish dagger in exchange for his glass th e sea
~

man insisting On his taking a glass Of another sort to which

Robin was by no means averse as he had n o t yet be en able to ,

obtain the desired information relative to the Ironsides .

While they sat under the cherry tree however, the wished -

for Opportunity occurred .

” ’
What a pity it is Observed Robin that they don t cut
, ,

ca nals through the countr y and do all the business by water ,

”
instead Of land They do it you know in Venice
. , ,
.

’ ”
There d be sense and reason i n that replied the sailor ,

in great glee I never cou ld see much use in the land at

.

”
an y time .

A nd then we should have all sailors and no soldiers con ,

tinned Robin .

“
Ah said the sailor I doubt if the Protector could ,
’
ever be brought to see the good Of that h e s mortally fond Of
”
the arm y .

“
You had some Of hi s ow n I ron sides here yeste rday you ,
”
said P
A y they were a fter something or other I ll answer for
’

, ,

that ; for though they never go the same road twice if they ,

can by any means help it yet they have been about the place , ,

an d round the neighbourhood very much la tely I did hear , .

that N oll w as after some smuggling o r de vil rie down a little , ,

beyond Gravesend He n ever can let a thing alone when once

.

he gets s cent Of it .

W as there any on e any prisoner or chap Of that sort, , ,

th them las t night or yesterday R obin ventured to ask

, .

N O not that I saw or noticed said the sa ilor

, ,
.

“ Y es there w as ” repl d the landlady who had been lean

, ie , ,

ing over the hatch door listening to their conversation and

-

, ,

s crutinising the person of her n e w guest There w as a .

yo ung gentleman n ot lik e a prisoner either only I fanci e d

, ,

under some restraint ; and I brought h im a better s toup Of

wine than I brough t the rest Poor gentleman ! he seem ed .

”
downh earted or like one crossed in love
, .

“ ”
Crossed in a fi ddles tick ! said the blu ff Old landlord
'

’
your woman s head is ever running on love .

Then it does n ot run On you I am sure re torte d Robin , ,

.

‘ ”
i You r sti ck would et no m u si c ou t of any fiddl e
g .
 TH E B UCCAN E E R . 23 3

“ I could m ake as good m usic ou t Of a curry comb as you ,

ou t Of that cracked thing that sits perched on your hump

”
like a m onkey on th e back Of a dromedary .

’
Get your currycomb and we ll make a wager of it r e
'

, ,

plied Robin unslinging h is gi ttern while some Of the Old

, ,

sailors crowded round the challenger and voted i t a fair chal ,

len e
f Ugh grunted forth the blu ff l andlord turning away
.

, .

When I play , i t shall be against a C hristian E nglishman ,

”
an d none Of your foreign j igm arie s .

”
Play play nevertheless said the young landlady hand
, , , ,

l ing Robin at the same time a measure Of fine ale then stoop
ing as if to untie the knot that fastened the gi ttern she w h is ,

pered in h is ear And there was on e who with a fe w others

.
, ,

le ft the party rode on and took n o refreshment I knew h im

, , .

’
w ell ; but if the youth be a friend o f yours depend u pon t ,
’
he s kin dl y tho u gh t of for the leader put a broad piece into
,
-

m y hand as he passed and told m e to see that the C avalier ,

”
was properly attended to .

Took they the London r oad ? inquired Robin .

’
Ay though tis hard to s ay how long such as they con
”
What are you doing Maud ? inquired the rough land ,

lord who had j ust returned, and w as lounging against the

,

door post -
.

There ! I have broken the string that went round h is

neck sh e said aloud without heeding the question
, I , .

”
must get yo u another .

When she returned with a fl aming red riband that glared ,

i n cruel m ockery at the shabby gittern sh e contrived to add , ,

I have a brother 1n the Ironsides and he said he thought ,

they were bound for Hamp ton C ourt ; but it might have been
”
only his fancy .

I t w as a quaint but pretty sight under that green Kentish

cherry tree and upon the bank Of that beautiful ri ver to see th e
-

, ,

weather cock Robin in h is m otley dress the long peacock s

-

,
’

feather ever an d anon li fted from his hat by the fresh breeze
that came from the water while he sung with sweet and ,

animated voice a son g that suite d well the tastes and feelin g s
o f h is hearers .
23 4! TH E B UCCANEE R .

Oh th e sa il o r s h om e is th e bou n dl ess
’

The t h e s e a, th e s e a
se a,
l v b
H e o es i t e s t w e n w a es ar e ,
h v h i gh
’
A n d a fi e r c e n o r w es te r s a es th e s k y -
h k .

Oh , th e s e a , t h e s e a, th e se a
il h
Oh , th e sa o r s o m e 18 th e om e for m e
’
h !

A w y w e go o e r o u r o wn bl ue se a
a ,
’

,
T h e se th e e th e s a !
a, s a, e
W e a re oc e n l o d s f r th e w i nd s O be y
a r , o ,
A n d th r g i g b l l OW Ow o u r w a y
e a n l S n s .

Oh , th e s e a , t h e s ea , th e sea !
L et m y h om e be th e sa i lor s h om e th e sea ! ’

A r o u d m an w e ll m ay ou r ca pta i n be
T he se th e e a th e s !
,
a, s ,
ea
B u t o u r ob l e h i p b ri d e h all be
n s a s
T O fi v h u n d ed m e n
e go od as h e
r as .

Oh , th e s e a , t h e se a , t h e se a
’
Ti s i g
a b rave an d fr ee !
fi tt n m a te fo r th e

G i ve th e l an d to s l av es b u t g i v e u s th e sea ,

T h e s e a th e se a t h e s e a
, ,

Ou r h o pe s o u r jo y s ou r be d an d o u r grav e
, , , ,
A re a bo v e o r be l w th e sa l t s e a w a v e o -
.

Oht h e s e a , t h e s e a , t h e se a
,

h
H u rra fo r th e sa i o r s om e
’
l h th e sea !
"

Then leaning over the hatch door her rosy cheek hal f -

resting on the rough shoulder of her rough husband was the ,

pretty Mistress Maud the personifi cation Of ru stic E n glish ,

beauty ; then the picturesque grouping Of the Old and worn ,

but still gallant and manly sailors ou r friend Of the wooden

legs a li ttle in the fore ground supported by the quizzical -

seaman and a tall sti ff bony looking

, Black Sal of a w o -

m an ou the other whose complexion w as contras ted by a

,

snow white ca p somewhat pointed at the top whi ch har dl y

-

, ,

concealed her grizzled hair She was bo th exhibiting and .

admiring in dumb show the telescope so late ly i n th e posses

sion Of our friend Robin while Ned Purcell a little dumpy , ,

grey headed mariner who had heretofore been considered the

-

owner Of the best gl ass i n Gree nwich was advancing glass in , ,

hand to decide which was re ally the best without farther

,

p arley A s Robin was obliged to sing his song twice we may

.
,

be excused for having given it once though certainly it r e ,

c ei ve d but li ttle advantage from the miserable accompaniment

Of the wretched i nstrument that had j ust been so gaily adorned

by the hands Of Mistress Maud .

When the song was fairly finished Robin arose to depart , ,

for he had been long anxious to proceed o n his way though ,

th e scene we have described and the conversati on we have
,

recorded h ad passed within the compass Of an hour They

, .
23 6 TH E B UCCANE E R .

th e Ironsides see y ou say no thing Of the young gentleman;

,

who is as dear to me as m y he art s bloo d ; and do not tell to ’

_

’
any even Of ou r ow n se t that I pas sed this way ; for it s
, ,
’ ’

hard to tell who s who or what s w h a t the se times

, ,
.

”
SO it is replied the dame smiling through tears
, ,
” ’
and now God be w i ye Robin ! And presently he heard
,

her voice carollin g a N orth count ry ball ad as sh e retur ned to ,

her o w n house .

N o w is her heart in her ow n country muttered the ,

“
Ranger , though her voice is here ; an d those who did no t
know her li ttle story would think her as cheerful as the length
’
Of a su m m er s lday and so s h e ought to be for she performed ,

her duty ; and duty after all whe n well performed seems a
, , ,

perpetu al an d most cheerful recompense for care an d toil and , ,

”
i t m ay be trouble Of mind and pain Of he art
, .

Robin having Obtained the clue to th e secr et o f which he

w as in search wended his way towards the metropolis
,
The .

steeples Of a hundred churches were soo n in sight .

C H A PT E R IX .

B ut y on de r com es m y fa ith fu
T h at l ik e ss au l ts h ath O fte n tr i ed ;
a

On h is a dv i ce 1W "d e pe n d I
W h e e r I s h a l l w m o r be d e n i ed
’

A n d l oo k w h at c o u n e l h e s h a l l gi v e
, , s .

T h a t w i ll I d o w h e e r d i e o r l v e H E N RY W I LL O B Y
’
i .
,

RO B I N w hen he arrived in London loitered away an hour

, ,

around Whi tehall and the Park before he proceeded farther , ,

a n d easil y ascertained that the Protector w as the n at Hampto n

Co urt ; as to who went wi th h im how long he woul d remain , ,

or when he would return he coul d receive no intell igen ce

, for
the best Of all possible reasons — the movemen ts Of h is High
ness were secrets even from his own family .

There was much tal k however an d considerable specul a

, ,

tion among all classes of peo ple as to whether he would yield ,

to the eager entreaties Of a certain party in the parli amen t ,

w h o were urgently pressing forward a motion the Object Of ,

which was, that C romwell should exchange the titl e he had

 TH E B UCCANEE R . 23 7

heretofore borne an d adop t th e m ore time honoured but

,
-
, ,

alas ! m ore obnoxious one of King Some of the more rigi d ,

.

’
sects were busily discoursing i n groups respecting Walton s ,

Polyglott Bible and the fi tness or u n fi tn e ss of th e committee

,

that had be en sitting at W h itel ock s house at C helsea to con

’

sider properly the translations and impres sions of the Holy

Scriptures Robin received but surly treatment at the palace
.

ga tes for minstrelsy was n o t the fashion and he almost began

,

to thing the disguise h e had selected was an injudicious one .

H e hastened on to the ci ty along the li ne of street now called ,

the Strand but which was then onl y partial ly skirted by

,
’
houses and delivered Dalton s invoices to the merchant beyond
,
’
St Paul s who had need o f the Genoa velvets ; then pro
.
,

c e ed e d to the dealer in j ewels by whom the pearls had bee n ,

commanded Here it appeared no easy matter to gain admis

.

sion ; but a fe w words mysteriously pronounced to a grave

looking person whose occupation was half porter half clerk
, , ,

removed all obstacles and he found himsel f in a dark noisom e , ,

roo m at the back o f on e of the houses in Fenchu rch Street

,

at that time much inhabited by foreign merchants who were ,

g enerally dealers in contraband g oods as we l l as in the mor e ,

legitimate articles of commerce .

A s soon as the wayfarer entered he disb u rdened himself of ,

h is hump and from between its folds produced strings o f the

,

fi nest pearls and heaped them on the table The dealer put .

on his glasses and examined the m separately w ith great care

, , ,

but much rapidity ; while Robin like a good and faith ful ,

steward kept his eyes steadily fixed upon the j ewels never
, ,

losing sight of them for a sing le moment until h is attention ,

w as arreste d by a person entering and address ing the merchan t .

Ro bin immediately recognised the stranger as the ol d Jew ,

Manasseh Ben Israel whom he had seen at Sir Willmott ,

’
Burrell s .

E xcuse m e I pray y ou fo r a fe w moments goo d Rabbi

, , , ,

observed the merchant who was now occupied in entering the ,

number size and quality of the pearls in a large book

, , .

” ’
I cannot wait friend was the Jew 8 qui ck reply , for , ,

I a m going a journey an d the night draws on darkly , .

Whi ther sir I pray yo u ? , ,

E ven to Hamp ton Ho use replied Ben Israel to , ,

commune wi th h is Highness, whom the God of Abraham

23 8 TH E B UCCANEE R .

protect — and I am sorely perplexed for m y ow n serving ,

m an is ill and I know not whom to take seeing I am feeble

, ,

a nd require care unless y o u can lend me the man Townsend

,

Samuel assures me he is a person of trust .

Townsend is unhappily gone on secret business to a long

, ,

di stance set o ff not an hour since : would that I had know n

,

i t before
There is no lack of servants continued the Rabbi bu t , ,

there is great lack of faithfulness I know not what to do for .

,

I must see his Highness to night -

.

"
I f it so please you said little Robin eagerly s tepping
, ,

forward ,
I will go with you I am sure this gentleman c an
answer for my fidelity and I will answer for my own fitness, .

The Rabbi and the merchant looked at each other and then ,

the latte r observed ,

’
I can well answer for this young man s trust worthiness -

seeing he has been engaged to bring me go ods such as these ,

from secret sources the nature o f which you understa nd ex

, ,

c e l l e n t Ben Israel But what know you of the ser vice be

.

’
fi tting a gen tleman s servant ?
I have been in that capacity too replied little Robi n , ,

IIay s .

”
With whom ? inquired Manasseh .

With on e I care not much to name sirs fo r he doe s , ,

’
me no credit was Robin s answer
, with Sir Willmott
Burrell .

The ol d man shuddered and said in an agi tated voice ,

"
Then indeed you will not do for me on this occasion
, , .

”
U nder favour persisted Robin I know not the occa
, ,

sion and therefore cannot j udge i f I may speak so bol dl y ;

, ,

but I have seen you before sir and can only say tha t , , ,

knowing all his manoeuvres well I am ju st the person to be ,

"
trusted by his enemy .

“ ’
Young man said the Jew severely , I am no man s ‘

, ,

enemy I leave such enmity as you speak of to my C hristian

brethren I ask only j ustice from my fellow mortals and
.
,

m ercy from my God .

But sir I though t y ou had sustained so me wrong at th e

, ,

hands of Sir Willmott Burrell from your visit at suc h an hour , ,

”
and your manner on that nigh t .

Wrong ay, such wr ong as turns a father s hair grey , his ’

.
240 TH E B u c c a n ee rs .

Th e J e w had received intimati on that the note d and well ;

known commander of the F ire fl y h ad been lyin g o f St V al -
.

lery and making m any inquir ies rela tive to h i s daughter who
, ,

h a d at length bee n traced on boar d his cruiser by her conti

”
n e n ta l friends Doubtless thought the Rabbi
. I may be
, ,

enabled to draw forth or bri be forth from this his assoc iate
, , ,

whatever knowledge he may possess of th e views and obj ects

which the y contempla te as re gar ds my m ost wretched daughte r .

I n pursuance of this plan be commenced a series of ex am in

a ti on s as they j ourneyed towards Hampton C our t which
Robin wi th all his dexteri ty would have found i t diffi cult to
, ,

parr y if he had had any intention or desire so to do Sud

, . .

de nl y it occurred to the Ran ger that the pretended dumb boy

’

w as no other than Ben Israel s daughter and he frankly men ,

tion ed his suspicions .

The ol d man at first shrank from the supposi tion with ex

” “
treme horror I t w as im pos s ibl e h e said
. th a t h i s ch ild sh ou ld , ,

so far forget her birth and sta tion as to degrade herself by as , .

s u m in g male attire but Robin reminded him that when a

woman loves as sh e m ust have done and h as once sacrificed
, ,

her duty perhaps h er honour all obs ta cles become as nought

, , .

The J e w groaned heavily and remained long silen t ; sh e w as ,

his only and his beloved o n e ; and though the Jewish laws
, ,

were strict even un to death against any who w edded with

, ,

strangers yet he loved her despite her disobedien ce and the

, ,

more he thought the more resolved he became to punish the

,

betrayer of her i nnoce nce and faith .

Robin w as al s o greatl y distressed ; the fear of some evil

occurring to Barbara took forcible possession of his mi nd .

’
IVh y should thi s girl if indeed J e r o m io s charge w as a ctu ally
,

a gir l why should she m en ace Barbara ? Wh a t h ad Barbara

,

to do with the foul tran saction ? C ould it be pos sible that , ,

from her being tricked out wi th so much finery the stranger ,

m istook the maid for the mistress ; and with impotent rage ,

was warning or threa tening her in an unknown tongue against , ,

a m arriage with Burrell ! H e co uld n o t comprehend the mat

ter and the more he w as at fault the more anxious he h e ,

came He i n hi s o w n mind reproach e d even the B u ccaneer

.
, ,

for imparting to him only half m easures .

”
H ad I known “
though t Robi n, , the tru e parti cu lars
abou t Sir W illmott s affairs of whi ch I am convin ced, from
’

,
 TH E B UCCAN EE R . 241

many circumstances Dalton w as in full po ssession I could

, ,

have assisted in all th ings and prevented results that may here ,
”
after happen There was another idea that had lately min
.

’
gled much with the Ranger s harassed feelings C onstantia s ’

in tended m arri a e Robin was sa tisfied that a strong regard

g .
,

if not a deeply r ooted a ffection existed between W alter De

-
,
’
G uerre and Barbara s kind mistress ; and he thought that
’
Hugh D alton s m anifesting so little in terest on the subject w as
n o t at all i n keeping wi th his u sually chi valrous feelings to

war ds woman kind or h is professed esteem and a ffection for

-
,

h is young friend H e kne w that the Buc canee r s h eart w as ’

.

s e t upon attaining a free pardon ; and he als o knew that he

had some powerful clai m upon the interest of Si r Robert C ecil ;

’

he knew moreover Dalton s principal m otive for bringing

, ,

over the C avalier but with all h is saga c ity h e could not dis ,
.

cover why he did not at once and for ever set all things righ t
, , ,

by exhibiting Sir Willmott Bur rel l in hi s t rue colours Robi n .

had repeatedly urged the Bu c caneer on this subj ect but his ,

constant reply was ,

’
I have no bus iness with other pe ople s children I must
look to m y o w n If they have been kind to Barbara they
.
,

have had good reason for i t It will be a fine punishment .

,

hereafter to Sir Willmott on e that may com e or may not

, ,

come as he behaves ; but i t will be a punishmen t in reserve

, ,

should he i n the end discover that Mistress C ecil may be no

, ,

heiress . I n fact the only time that the Buccaneer felt any
,

strong i nclination to prevent the sacrifi ce C onstantia was

’
about to make was when he found that she knew her father s
,

cri m e but w as willing to give hersel f to mi sery as the price of

,

secrecy ; then i ndeed had hi s ow n pardon been secured he

, , ,
’
would have stated to the Protector s face the deep villany of
the Master of Burrell U ntil his return on board the F ire fl y .
-

and h is suppression of the mutiny excited by Sir Willmott and

the treachery o f J e r om io he had no idea that Burrell base as , ,

he knew him to h e would h ave aimed against his life

, .

The Buccaneer was a brave bold intrepid careless m an , , ,

m ore skilled in the tricks o f war than i n tracing th e secr e t

workings of the human mind or in watching the shades and ,

m odification s of the human character His very love for h is .

daughter had m ore of the protecting and proud care o f the

eagle about it than the fostering ge n tle ness with which the
,

R
242 , TH E B UCCANEE R .

tender parent guards its young ; he was proud of her and he ,

was resolved to use ever y possible means to m ake her proud of

’

him . He h a d bo asted to Sir Robert C ec il that i t was h is sus

made m commi t d ocuments to the flames ”
p ic io n s h i f g
or e d ,

at the time when the baronet imagined that all proofs o f his
crimes h ad been destroyed ; but in truth Dalton had mislai d
, ,

the letters and eager to end all arrangements then pending he

, , ,

burned some pape rs which he had hastily framed for the pur
,

pose to satisfy Sir Robert C ecil When in after years it oc

,
.

curred to him that if h e obtained those papers he coul d wind

,
’
Sir Robert to his purpose be se arched every corner o f the Gull s
'

N est C rag until they were discovered so that in fact h e , ,

'

owed their possession to chance an d not to skilfulness E ven

, .

’
the bo y Sprin gal l had seen through the Italian s charac ter ; but
Dalton had been s o accustom ed to find h is bravery o verwhelm
i n gl y success ful and consequently to trust to it almost im pli
,

c itl that his fine intellect w a s su ffered to lie dorm ant where
,y ,

i t would have often saved him fro m much that he endured I f .

he had thought deeply he would have seen the impropriety of

,
’
trusting the F ire fl y at any time to J er omio s comma nd be
-

cause as he had found him gu ilty o f so many acts of trea chery

,

towards others he should have known that it only needed

, ,

sufficien t bribery o r inducement of any other kind to turn

, ,

that treachery upon himself .

His last in terview with Sir Ro bert C ec il had m ade him

aware that the baronet had really lost the greater part of the
influen ce he once m aintained at Whiteh all ; and since he had
been so much o f and on the E ngl ish coast he had heard enough ,

to convin ce him that C romwell granted fe w favours to those

who h ad not much u sefulness to be sto w i n re turn Sir Robert .

was broken in intellect and c onstitution : he h ad no son to whom

th e Prote cto r could look for sup ort in case of bro il or disturb
p
ance and the Buc canee r was ig norant of the strong and friendly
,

t ies that had united the families for s o long a seri es o f years
'

He had fancied th a t fea r would compel Sir Willmott Burrell

to press his suit ; but the atrocious at temp t upon his life as
'

sured him that there was no thing to expect from him but the
blackes t vi llany When therefore he despatched with all the
.
, , ,

ferocity of a tru e Buccaneer the head of Je rom io as a weddi ng

,

present to Sir Willmott he at the same time transmitted

,

to the Protector by a trusty messenger the Master of Bur

, ,
244 TH E B UCCANE E R .

I have sought thee as a friend obse rved the simple ,

min ded man ,

as a petitioner I had almost sai d so earnest
, ,

was the la dy about i t from the Lad y Frances C rom well to ,

beg that the b ridal whi ch even now according to thy dire c
, ,

tions he o f the E piscopalian faith was preparing to solemnise

, ,

might be delayed unt il evening in consequen ce of Mistress ,

C ecil be ing somewhat ill at ease ei ther in bod y or in mind or i t

, ,

may be th e Lord s will in bot h — very ill of a surety she is

,
’ ”
.
,

This is trifling exclaimed Burrell in anger

, Sh e .

asked delay and I gran ted till this morning I can brook no
, .

such vain excu se .

O f a verity quoth Fl ee tw or d , th y reply is as I deem , ,

i t given i n a m os t unchristi an spirit Thy bri de elect is ill

,
.

and inste ad of a shower ( which i s emblem atic of tears )cometh

a storm which ( in poetic la nguage ) sign ifieth anger
,
”
Forgive m e sir replied Burrell who perceived that the
, , ,

delay un der such circumstan ces however dangerous must be

, , ,

g ranted ; but it is natural for a bri d egroom to feel disap

pointed when there arises any postponement to his long looked

for happin e ss particularly when there be reaso ns strong as
,
”
mine against it .

Fle e t w or d li ttle comprehended the meaning of this last s en

ten c e but drawing forth a pocket Bible which on more than ,

one occasion had given much trouble to Sir Wil lmott Burrell he ,

told him he had considered that adm irab le po rtion o f the Scrip
ture touching the duty of husband and wife so well s e t forth ,

therein and that h e had composed a disc ourse thereon which

, ,

he mean t to deliver unto them after the holy ceremony but ,

that he would now expound much upo n the subject as the y ,

j ourneyed homeward .

’
I am not going direct to C ecil Place w as Burrell s ex ,

cuse I am looking after one Robin Hays who dwells som e ,

’
w here near or at a place called the Gull s N est C rag : he was
, ,
”
once my servan t and I desire to s e e him, .

”
I t is even on e with me replied F l ee tw or d , I know
the lad Robin too so I will go with thee and read the while
, ,
.

I covet a hol y exerci se and for it every time yea an d eve r y , ,

”
place is fitting
, .

Most cordially did Burrell wish the good preacher — no mat -v

ter where ; but his wishes availed nought for he remained ,

close to his side hold ing forth wi thout in termission in the

, , ,
 TH E B UCC A N B E R . 245

same monotonou s tone th at sounded like th e ding dong di ng ,

-

dong of a curfew bell to the knigh t s bewildered ear

-
.

Yet this w as not the only sour ce of embarrass ment Sir

Willmott was that morning doomed to encounter We have .

else wher e had occasion to mention an ol d tower that support ed

’
G ull s N est in which Bar bar a Iverk fo und shelter the evening
,

s h e did her lady s errand to the C rag : as Burrell and h i s

’

companion turned the corner by this tower Zilla h Ben I srael , ,

still habited as a boy but wear ing a tuni c of cloth that reached
,
‘

below her knee stood before him ! ,

Had a spectre sprung from the e arth Sir Willmott could ,

n o t have regarded it with greater astonishment or dismay He .

would have passed but she still stood in his path her head u n
, ,
o

covered and her black luxuriant hair braided around it di s

, ,

playing to full advantage her strikingly beauti ful but strongly

marked Jewish features : her eyes black and penetrating , ,

discovered little of gentle or feminine expression but sparkl ed ,

and fired restlessly in their sockets : her lips curled and

quivered as sh e sought words for some time in vain, in which ,

to address the false base knight ,

.

Fl ee tw or d w as the first to speak .

In the name o f the Lord I charge thee avoid o u r path , , ,

young maniac ! for of a truth there is little sobriety , littl e

, ,

s teadi n ess in thy look which savou r e th neither o f peace n or

, ,

con te ntment What woul dst thou with m y friend ?

. This is
his bridal day and he h as no leis u re for suc h as thee
-

,
.

The devil take thee with him thou everlasting pesti ,

lence ! exclaimed B u rrell to the preacher , fiercely forgetting ,

all moderation i n the excess of his passion for at the word

bridal a change as awful as ca n be ima gined to shadow th e
”

face of woman rested on the countenance o f Zi l lah A void .

”
me both of ye ! he con tinued
, and you young sir w h o so , ,

eagerly rush upon your own destruction avoid me especially ,

the time for trifling is past l

During this burst of rage the Jewess kept her eyes ste adily ,

fixed upon Burrell and held her hand within the bosom of
,

her vest When he paused, she addressed him at first in

.

broken E nglish and then finding that s h e could not procee d

,

with th e eagerness an d fl uency her case required she spoke in ,

French .

’
She first appealed to her seducer s honour ; referred to h is
R 3
246 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

m arriage with her ; called to mind his protestations of a ffection ,

’

and used all the entreaties which a woman s heart so natur ally

suggests to arouse his better feelings on her behal f A ll was

, .

i n vain ; for Burrell parried it all managing to recover h is self

,
,

posse ssion while she exhausted herse lf with words She the n .

vowed that if he failed to render her j usti c e she would as

, , ,

s h e had threatened a t a for m er time throw herself and the

.
, ,

proofs she posse ssed of his villany at the Protector s feet and be ,
’

his ruin Sir Willmott then sought to temporise assured her

.
,

that i t was necessity obli ge d him to forsake her ; and would

have persuaded her to meet him or go with him into the house ,

where he assured her he could perhaps arrange

, ,
per
h aI 5
; No ,
sh e
replied in the les s strong but more poetic lan
, ,

gua e of Fran ce
g I will go under no roo f wi th you I will
, ,

exchange no token no pledge wi th you I believe you woul d

, .

follow me to the death ; and if you fail to do m e j ustice I ,

will pursue you to the same and not y ou alone N o woman , .

but myself shall ever rest upon yo u r bosom I swear by th e .

God o f A braham of I sa ac and o f Jacob that I will have

, , ,

vengean ce though m y nation should spill ou t m y blood as a

,

sacrifi ce before the Lord for m y iniquities the next hour ! ,

She sh ook back her head as she pronounced the vow and her ,

hair loose ned from its confinement cloaked her sligh t figure
, ,

w ith a robe o f darknes s .

“
A ckn owledge your m arriage wi th m e before this holy man ,

s h e continued : although he is a C hristian I have heard ,

”
that he i s honest and I wi ll leave you for a time .

Peace Zillah inte rrupted Burrell

, there w as n o mar
r ia e
g I t.is a fable o f your o w n invention — you have no
proof .

” ’
Have I n ot ? she replied and with woman s luckl e ss , ,

imprudence she drew forth a small packet and held it for an

,

i nstant t owards him That instan t w as enough : he snatched

.

th e docume n ts from her hand and held them befo re her with ,

the exultation of a demon His triumph however was but .

, ,

short lived for F lee tw ord who comprehended what h ad passed

-

, , ,

w as su fficiently alive to its importance to seize the papers from

the Master of Burrell before he had the least idea that th e
preacher would have dared such an act Sir Willmott stood .

amazed at his presumption : but instantly F lee tw or d d re w

248 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

c ei ve nothing of which she spoke When he turned towards .

th e spot where Zillah had stood she w as gone !

“ All this is o f the evil o n e said Flee tw ord after peering , ,

amon g the ol d walls an d approaching his nose so closely to ,

the larger stones that i t migh t be imagined he w as smelli ng

, ,

not looki n g at them Whi ther has the creature escaped

.

” ’
Verily 1 kno w n o t w as Burrell s reply
,
Best come ,
.

’”
with me into the Gull s N est ; I would speak with Robin .

The un su spicious preacher did as he was desired .

Sir Willmott inquired for the Ranger His mother said .

,
"
tru ly ,
H e was gone a j ourney .

F or Hug h Dalton
He had j oined h is ship .

He then managed priva tely to as k for the secret key of a

”
pla ce called the C age where contraband goods not wan te d , ,

for ready sale were generally deposi ted

, I t had no co m m u .

mi cation wi th any of the private chambers , ex cept by a narrow

passage which leading to no other place w as seldom traversed
, , , .

I nto this cage he managed to get F lee tw ord sa ying I t w as , ,

o n e o f th e ways ou t ; and while the preacher was lo oki ng

round with much curiosity he turn ed the key placed it sa fely , ,

i n his vest and without saying a word to Mother Hays, w h o

, , ,

at such an early hour was j ust beginning to be very busy left ,

’

the Gull s N est with much sel f congr atulation -

.

Stay safely there but till another morning poor m eddli n g ,

” “ ’
fool ! he murmured and then for your sweet C onstantia s ,
’ ”
sake you ll keep m y secret and resign these cursed papers
, , .

I t is not to be imagi ned that Sir Willmott Burrell would ,

upon any accoun t have su ffered Zillah to m ake her appearan ce

,

at C ecil Place H is existen ce seemed n ow to hang upon her

.

destr uction but instruments were wanting R ou pall had been

sen t ou t of the way by Hugh Dalton and tidings were in vai n ,

expected of or from J ero m io The slight relief a fforded by .

the imprisonment of Flee tw or d was speedily succeeded by a

state of mind bordering on madness .

Stopping for a few moments at th e lodge o f C ecil Place he ,

wa rned the old porter not to admit but to detain any person , , ,

man or woman who might inquire for him no matter under

, ,

what pretext entr ance might be demanded for he ass ured the
ol d man there was a deranged youth w h o pretended to have
,

known him abroad and wh o he was inform ed had u sed un

, , ,
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 249

ac countable th reats against h im Sir Willmott moreo ver .

, .
,

enforced his instructions by a handsome present and w as pro , ,

c e e din g to the house when the gate be l l rang and a man ,

-
, ,

habited as a travelling merchan t presen ted a parcel directe d , ,

For Sir Willmott Burrell The se .

Burrell commanded the messe nger into the l odge room the
stranger after some hesitation en tered Sir Willmott bri e fl y
, , .

dismissed the old po rter a n d undid the packet ; when 10 ! the , ,

m atte d and gory head o f the I talian J e ro m io roll e d at h is , ,

feet . There i t lay in all the hideous deformity of sudden

,

and violent death ! the severed throat thickened wi th gouts of ,

blood ! the dimmed spectral eyes startin g from their sockets

the lips shrinking from the teeth of glaring whiteness — the re
it lay l ooking up as it w ere in to the face o f the base but
, , ,

horrified asso ciate His utteran ce was impeded and a thick

.
,
’
mist came over hi m as he sank in to the old porter s chair ,
.

“ ”
What does this mean ? he said at length to the m an ,

whom he now recognised as on e of the sailors of th e Fire fly -

.

”
What means i t ?
A wedding present from Hugh Dal ton , is all I h eard
”
about the m atter returned the fellow quietly turning a m orsel
, ,

o f tobacco in his mouth , and e e 1n the kni ht wi th ine ffab l e

y g g
contempt .

You must give in formation of this most horrible murder

—you witnessed i t i t will make your fortune continued”
,

Sir Willmott springing from the seat and l ike a drowning

, , ,

m an sei zing even at a straw

, I can take your deposi tion .

this most foul murder m ay make your fort une — think of that .

—What ho ! he would have called the porter but the man

”
,

preven ted him and then burst into a laugh wild as a wild
,
'

s e a wave
-
.

Lodge informations ! Y ou a law maker ! May I never -

spin another yarn , but ye are precious timber ! Shiver and

blazes ! haven t ye with your palaver and devilry worked
’

’
harm eno u aboard our ship but ye want me to be pickled up , ,
’
or swing from the yard arm ! N o no master ; I ll keep -

, ,
’
o ff such a lee shore I ve no obj ections i n life to a
-
.

any th ing — but ye r informations A h ! ah ! ah ! what sin n ifie s

’

”
a hundred such as that and he kicked at the bloody head , ,

pointing to Sir W ill mott

” “
or such as y ou , in compariso n ,
’
to the bold Buccaneer ! Look here maste r whatever ye r ,
25 0 TH E B U CCANE E R .

name be — they say the law and the pirates often sail under
false colours and blow m e but I believe i t now when sich ,
’ ’
as you have to do with on e o f em Bah ! I d cry for the .

fi gu re head of our ship i f she had sich a bridegroom

-
, .

”
Y ou shal l n o t esca pe me villain ! exclaimed Sir Will
,

mott rendered desperate by his adverse fortunes and springing

, ,
”
towards the seaman But stay he added drawing back
.
, , ,
”
you he sitati ngly
, you are honest to your c aptain : well
, ,

there is something you could do for me that He paused ,

— and the sailor took advantage o f the pause to s a

y ,
“
A farewell and foul weather to ye master ! Look if , ,
’
you coul d make ye r whole head into on e great diamond and ,

lay it at m y feet as that carrio n lies at yours may I die on

, ,
’
a sandbank like a dry herring if I d take i t to do on e of the
,

dirty j obs ye re for e v er plotting !

’

O h what a degrading thing it is to be sco ffed at by our

,

superiors ! How prone we are to resent it when our eq u als

m eet us with a sneer ! But when the o ffscouring of society ,

the reptiles that we coul d have trodden under foot m ay ,

r ail at and sc orn us with impunity how doubly bitter h o w , ,

perfec tly insupporta ble must i t be ! The very ministers of

evil scouted him and sin and misery thought h im too con
,

te m ptibl e to deal with ! Burrell gnashed his tee th and struck

his temples with his clenched fi s t — the room turned round
the bloo dy h e ad o f J e rom io uplifted itself to his imaginings ,

and gibbered an d curs e d and m uttered and lau ghed at h im

, , ,

in fiendi sh merrimen t If Zillah c ould have see n Burrell at

that moment she woul d have piti ed and prayed for him : the
,

strong man trembled as a weak girl i n th e shiverings of a

mortal fever — his heart shuddered within h is bosom — h e los t
all power of reasoning and i t was not until huge drops of
,

perspiration h ad forced their way along h is burning brow that ,

he at al l recover ed his faculties H e gazed around th e small

.

ap artment ; but the man w as gone The lodge window that .

looked on the road was open and the knigh t s firs t effort was
,
’

to reach it The pure air o f heaven b reathing so sweetly

.
,

upon his pale and agonised counte n ance revived him for the ,

moment and his energetic mind in a short space was restru ng

,

and wound up to fresh exertion He resolved to se t some o f

.

his own people to watch about the grounds i n case Zillah ,

should at tempt to obtain entrance and though he felt assured

25 2 B L C CA N E E R .
’

TH E

merriment and Fle e tw or d felt h i s limbs tremble beneath hi m

,

w hen he reflecte d on the desperate character of the m an with _

whom he had to deal The Lord can make a way for safety
.

even from this den he m uttered yea even from this fas t
, , ,

ness, which o f a tru th is most curiously fashioned and o f

, , ,
”
evil intenti on doubtless The little ligh t that was adm it ted
, .

into the cel l came through an aperture in the cli ff at s o great

a height from the floor that i t could hardly be observed even ,

if it had been l eft unprotec ted by a ledge of s tone that pro

j e c ted a considerable distance under th e opening which w as ,

scar c ely large enough to permit the entran ce of a sufficient

quantity o f air The atmosphere was therefore dense and
.

heavy and the preacher drew his breath with di fficulty The
, .

ch amber we should observe was directly over that in which

, ,

we have heretofore encoun ter ed the Buccaneer ; for the in

te rior o f the cli ff w as excavated in various parts so as more ,

nearly to resemble the form ation o f a bee hive than any other -

structure I t w as fill ed as we have sta ted with a variety of

.
, ,

matters for which either there was no imme di ate demand or

, ,

that time had re ndered useless O f these Flee tword piled a .

,

quantity on e over the other and standing tiptoe on the top ,

mos t parcel succeeded i n peeping through the aperture but

, ,

could perceive nothing except the broad se a stretching away

in the distance until i t was bounded by the horizon A s he .

was about to desce n d one o f the packages rolled from under the
,

res t and the hapless preacher came to the ground amidst a

,

multitude o f bales o f cloth logs o f ebony cramps and spoiled , , ,

martin skins and found h imself half in and half ou t o f a box

-

o f mildewed oranges into which he had plumped and which, ,

repaid the intrusion by splashi ng him all over wi th their pul py

and unpleasan t remains I t was some time be fore he could .

extricate himself from this disagreeable mass and stil l longer ,

before he could cleanse o ff th e filthy fragments from his gar

ments When he had don e so ho w ever his next care was to
.
, ,

bestow the papers he had rescued from Burrell into some safe
“ “
place . The Lord he though t hath at his o wn good
, , ,
’
pleas ure g1ve n Satan o r his high priest dominion over me and
, ,

i t may be that I shall be o ffered U p upon th e altar of Baal or

Dagon as a sacrifice ; but i t shall be o ne of sweet smelling -

savour u ntainted by falsehood or dissimulation Verily he

, .
,

may destroy my body — and I wil l leave these documents ,

 TH E B UCCA N EE R . 25 3

which by an almos t m iracul ous interposition of Providence

have bee n committed to m y charge so that on e time or other ,
”
they m a y be found of those by whom they may be ne eded .

He care fully sought and ransacked every parcel he could

fi nd in search of pencil ink or any thing by which he co u ld
, ,

direct a letter ; but i n vain H e discovered however some

.
, ,

parchments whereon th e words O liver Lord Protector were

,

fr equently inscribed : he cut off a sli p containing this senten ce ,

and having encased the papers he had seized in many fol ds , ,

pinned it upon the parcel so that it m ight serve as a direction

, .

H e then corded i t so firmly that it woul d require both industry

and patience to dissever the several knots and twistings Having .

performed s o much of his task he set himself to consider what,

poss ible means he could devise to secure its safe delivery H e .

had previously shouted and called with all h i s stren g th but

when he remembered the length of the passa ge he h ad traversed
with his subtle gui de and th e little appearance there was of
,

any apartment n ear the on e i n which he was confined he de ,

sisted wisely determining not to waste in such useless e ffo rts

, , ,

the breath that perhaps he would h e su ffered to retai n only

, ,

for a few short hours . Greatly he lamen ted h is want o f c an

tion in accompanying Burrell ; and bitterly wept at the fate .

that awaited his favourite C onstantia A t le n gth after much

,
.
,

del iberation he determined on building a more secure standing

,

place mounting once again to the windo w fastening the longes t

, ,

string h e could find to the parcel and merely confining i t to ,

the inside of th e cave in so slight a m anner that it might be ,

detached by the least p u ll H e would have thrown i t down at

.

once trusting that some on e on the beach woul d find it bu t

,

h e w as aware that the tide at high water washed up the cl ifi s

'

s o that there was but sm all chance of i ts not being borne away

upo n the waters H e also remembered th at there were sundry

.

li ttle pathways windi ng u p the chalky rocks where h e had ,

’
seen people walk and that by God s good blessing the , ,

packet m ight be found by some on e wandering there Having .

accomplished this obj ect he took h is seat on a pil e of moth

,
- l

eaten clothes and drawing forth his little pocket Bible se t him
, ,

self to read the Holy Scripture with as much diligence as if he

,

had never before open ed th e blessed and consoling volume .

T w o classes o f persons peru se the Sacred Book on e from

pure love of and entire dependen ce on the words and precep ts

, ,
,
 25 4 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

contained therein ; th e o th er from h abit their mothers

'
'

g randmothers and g r eat grandmothers did so before them

,
-
.

always on a Sunday an d s om e ti m e s
( when . they had time )
during the week and G od forbid that they should ever be
worse than their ancestors The Reverend Jonas Flee tw or d
belonged partly to the one class partly to th e other : his pro ,

genitors for upwards o f a century had been foremost in

, ,

for w arding the religion of the Gospel ; they had fough t for i t
both with carnal and spiritual weapons and h e h ad followed ,

in their foo tste ps without swerving either to the righ t hand or

the left but to do him justice he was stimula ted to acti vi ty
, ,

i n his vocation by a bet ter motive than that which ari se s

ei ther from custom or an estimate o f heredita ry righ t — h e
was at heart as well as in word a C hristian and the pr om 1se s
, , ,

contained in toge ther wi th the prospects held out by the

, ,

book he perus e d so eagerly had been from the moment when

, ,

reason dawned the ruling principle by which h is life was

,

governed We pause not to inquire whether he had duly

.

weighed or correctly interpre ted all its precepts — whether

the hasti ness of his nature was not at time s oppose d to the
meek and unu pbraiding example of his Divine Master
whether he did n ot now and then mistake bitterness for sin
ce r it,y and persecution for zeal ; such errors were but too
common to the age in which he lived and wit h the church of ,

which h e was a member N ever did Gospel hope and Gospel

.

consolation visit h im with greate r welcome than at th e moment

of which we wri te He enter tained little doubt but that his
.

enemy meditated towards him some evil that placed hi s life in

danger : such however was not the case Burrell had agreed
, ,

to defer the marriag e until six o f the cl ock tha t evening ; and ,

after the ceremony had been concluded he entertained no ,

doubt tha t the preacher would retai n the secret now in h is

’
possession for C onstantia s sake .

A t C ecil Place all was confusion for the mind o f its ,

afflicted mistre s s w as scarcely able to bear up against th e

weight of misery that pressed upon i t ; and Lady Fr ances
C rom well felt happy and relieved when about eight in the ,

morning she fell into an apparently sound sleep The pre

, .

p a r a ti ons for the weddi ng devolved entirely upon her ; but ,

like m ost persons of an exalted rank although she knew when ,

'

things were properly done sh e w as ignorant how to do them : fi

,
25 6 TH E B UCCANEE R .

perform ed by o ne she loved so dearly and of w hose tr uth and ,

uprightness there could be no doubt .

While the note was yet open before he r the door opened , ,

and Sir Robert C e cil entered Lady Frances motioned him .

that Miss C ecil slept and the ol d m a n stooped o ver her bed
,

with clasped hands scarcely brea thing l e st he should dist urb

, ,

her rest .
'

H as she slept th u s all the n ight ? he whis pered .

Has sh e slept thus soundl y all the night Lady Frances ? ,

”
N o sir
,
w as the reply
,
and it was delivered in a tone of
unusual sternnes s for i t must be remembered that she enter
tain e d much anger against Sir Robert for permitting the ,

marriage to take place so mani festly against the inclination of

his daugh ter N o sir it is many nights since she has slept
.
, ,

But lady see h o w sweet h ow gen tle her repose

, , Surely , ,

she could n ot sleep thus wit h a heavy heart ?

” ’
Sir Rober t replied Lady Fran ces
, the heart s beavi ,

ness will make heav y the eyeli ds nay wi th greater certainty , ,

”
when they are swollen with weepin g .

The baronet stooped down as if to ascertain the correctness ,

of what th e lady had said and at th e instant a tear forced i ts ,

'
way throu gh the long fr inges that rested on his daughter s
p allid cheek H e.groaned audibly and left the apart men t ,

with the stealthy step and subdued deportmen t o f a proclaimed

criminal .

“
They are all mystery on e a nd all mystery from begin , ,

ning to e n d thought La dy Frances as w ith a heavy heart

, ,

s h e went in searc h o f her women to a certain how they were

s

fulfil li ng her di rections .

I n on e o f the passages she met Barbara w eeping bi tterly .

“ ”
Tears tears ! nothing but tears ! said the Protector s
,
’

daughter ki n dly
,
Wha t ails thee now girl ? Surely there
.
,

is some new cause for grief o r you would not weep thus ,

My l ady I hardl y know what is come over me but I can

, ,

scarcely stanch my tears : e v ery thing goes ill I sent two .

o f the servi n g maide n s to gather flo wers to help to dress up ,

the old chapel that loo ks more hke a sep ul chre than any thing
,

else An d what do you thi nk m y lady they brought me

.
, ,

Why rue and rosemary and willow boughs ; an d I chid

, , ,

them and sent the m for whi te and red roses lil ies and the
, ,
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 25 7

e arly pink s which the stupid gipsies brought at last,an d I com

,

m e n ce d nailing up the boughs of some gay evergreens amongst

the clustering ivy that has climbed over the north window
,

the lower on e I mean an d j ust as I had fi nished and was ,

about to twist in a garland o f such sweet blush roses an adder , ,

a living adder trailing its length all up the fretted windo w

, ,

stared with its dusky and malignan t eyes full in my face an d ,

pranked out i ts forked tongue dyed in the blackest poison

‘

Oh m adam how I s cr e am e d ; an d I kno w the creature w as

,
'

bent on my destruction for when I j umped down it uncoile d ,

, , ,

and fell u pon the earth coming towards me as I retreated

, ,

whe n C risp ( only think m y lady of the wisdom of that

, , ,

poor dog ! ) li ttle C risp seized it somewhere by th e neck , ,

”
and in a moment i t was dead !
‘

You shou ld smile at that not weep observed Lady , ,

Frances patting her cheek as she would that of a petted chil d

, .

“ “
O h but said Barbara
, ,
it was so horrid and I w as
, ,

almost sorry C risp killed i t for it i s an aw ful thing to destroy

”
life yet i t was w ickedl y venomous
,
.

Ah m y poor maid ! y o u will have worse troubles soon

,
” ’
than that which bids y ou mourn o v er an adder s death .

”
Do not say so sweet lady in terrupte d Barbara :
,
ah l
,

do not say so for I feel I c an hardly tell how s o very v ery

, , ,

s ad
. My poor lady and my poor self and you going away
, ,

m adam — y o u who keep u p the life o f every thing ; and

, ,

though your waiting maids seem s o rej oiced to get back to

the court ' I don t know what I shall do n o t I I only
’

.
,

wish She paused abru p tly .

Tell m e what you wish m y pretty Barbara — a new ,

”
cap kirtle hood o r farthingale ? What none of these l
, , , ,

I was only wishing that Robin H ays was come back ,

”
because he would understan d m y tr oubles .

You pay a poor complimen t to m y understanding Bar ,

bara observed Lady Frances with whom Barbara was at all

, ,

times an especial favourite .

The simple m ai d courtesied respectfully while she replied , ,

My lady it would ill become me to make free with such as

,

you but I have m any small causes of troubl e which even i f

, , ,

you did hear you could not comprehend The brown wren
, .

wo u ld not go for counsel to the gay parrot however wise and ,

'

great the parrot might be but seek advice from another brown
,

8
25 8 TH E B UCCANEE R .

wren because i t woul d unders tan d and feel exactly the cares
,
”
and troubles of its own kind .

What a little fabulist tho u art pretty Barbara ! But , ,

i f you had bee n at court y ou wo ul d not have likened a lady

,
”
to a parro t .

N ot to a p ar rot re peate d Barbara such a beautiful

bird that looks s o handsome and talks so well
N o : but here is a parting presen t for you m y fai r ,

maid a chain of gold Stay I will clasp it on your slender

.
,

n eck myself ; and liste n to me Barbara The daugh ters of , .

the Protector o f E ngland would be ill worthy their father s ’

did they not se ek to protec t

’
n ame o r their father s honours ,

the women of their cou ntry and to keep the m i n virtu e and ,

innocence as h e protects the men and guides them to war

, ,

an d victory o r to peace and honour ! Would to God fair

, ,

girl that notwithstanding your simpli city the maidens of

, , ,

Britain were all as righ t m inded and gen tle as yourself

. As
a proo f how highly I value your faithful and true a ffection I ,

b es to w upon y ou an ornament I have long worn n o t to feed ,

your van ity ( for we are all vain more or le ss ) but to , ,

strengthen your principles If ever y o u should encoun ter .

r eal sorro w and I can aid you

,
send me th e clasp o f this ,
"
chain and I wi ll attend to your request be i t what i t may
, ,
.

Lady Frances tu rned from her with m ore gravi ty of aspect

and more dignity of demean our than was her cus tom and ,
’
proceeded to look after the arrangemen ts fo r her friend s
nuptials .

’
Barbara s tood for some time after the l ady s departure ,

holding the gift u pon the palm o f her sm al l and beautifully

formed hand which no rough labour h ad hardened or sullied
,
.

H er eye brighte ned as sh e gazed upon the ri ch gift ; but in ,

a moment her thoughts reverted to those wi th whom were the

,

b est feelin gs of h e r happy an d innocent heart .

”
O h that Robin had but b een here ! she said
, to have ,

heard it all T o think o f her who is as great as a princess !

.

’
?
What was it faithful and true and o h ! h ow proud , ,

n o I must not be
, p r ou d — how grateful I am If m y father ,

m y father too had heard i t ; but I can show this to them

, ,
”
both I will not again thin k of that horri d adder
. A nd .

with this resol u tion she crept softly in to the chamber of her
stil l sleepi n g lady .
260 TH E B UCCANEE R .

’
portan ce o f her father s wealth and influence and panting for ,

the time when she should share in both The people with .

whom she resided perceived her wilfulness but instead of ,

combating i t with reason they sought to overcome i t by force

,

and the best o f all force according to their ideas was that
, ,

which a staid and sober husban d might exercise The person .

upon whom they fixed w as a Jew diamond dealer who h ad -

num be red about as many years as her father but w as greatly ,

his in fe rior both in sagacity and power ; indee d there were ,

very few who cou ld compete with the learned Rabbi Manas se h ,

Ben Israel in either of these qualities

,
C romwell thought .

most highly o f his talen ts and bestowed upon h im a degree

,

o f confidence he reposed in few treating him with a respect ,

and attention which all classes of Christians though t he carri ed

much too far ; for at that time Toleration was only in i ts
, ,

infancy and true peace loving Religion su ffered muc h from

,
-

the persecutions with which the successful party never failed

to v isi t those over whom they had triumphed C atholi c .

a gainst Protes tan t Pro testant against C atholic Sectaria n

against both both against Sectarian all against Jew
and the defamed and despised Israelite obliged in self defence ,
-

to act by subtlety ( fo r his strength had departed fr om him )

agains t all C romwell took advantage of this state o f things ,

and with much policy but it is to be hoped also with much

,

sinceri ty exerted himself continually to render E ngland a place

,

of sec u rity and happiness to the wandering chil dren of I srael .

T o quote his own wor ds his opinion w as ,

Since there was ,

a promise that they should be converted means ou gh t to be ,

u sed to that end and the most likely way was the preaching ,

of the Gospel in tru th and sinceri ty as it was then in Britain ,

devoid o f all Popish idolatry which had rendered the C hris ,

tian religion odious to them But the desi gn w as so violently

.

and so generally oppose d that i t came to nothing Many ,

.

scrupled not to a ffi rm that th e Protector had secured a condi

,

tion al bribe to an enormous amount in case he procured for

, ,

them equal toleration w ith E nglish subj ects while others , ,

w ith more show o f tr uth declared that when C romwell

, ,

understood what dealers the J e ws were every where in that

trade which depends o n news the advancing money upon high ,

o r l o w interest i n proportion to the risk they ran or the gain

, ,

to be made as a ffairs might turn u and in the buying and

p ,
 TH E B U OOA N E E R . 26 h

selling o f the actions o f money so advanced he m ore upo n

'

, ,

that account than with a view to tolerate their principles

, ,

brought a company o f them over and gave them leave to buil d ,

”
a synagogue I t is certain that they were sure and trusty
.

S pies for h i m especially with relation to Spain an d Portugal

, ,

and that they never be trayed his con fidence Is it not h o w .

,

ever most extraordinary in these ou r o w n times when the

, , ,
“
spiri t o f liber ty is bestriding the whole earth like a C o
”
l os su s
,
that a people so faithful so influential an d so peace , ,

able should be deprived of so many privileges ?

,
privileges ,

which we are labouri n g with m ind pen and purse to procure , , ,

for tribes of ig n orant and uncivilised savages who as yet are ,

utterly unabl e to comprehend the nature o f the fre edo m we

seek to thrust upon them but who are too often ready and ,

eager to bi te the hand that would bestow i t G od forbid tha t

we should desire i t to be wi thholden from a singl e human
being whether black or white who bears the impress o f his
, ,

Maker But reason policy and humanity m ay alike teach

.
, , ,

us that the blessing shoul d fi r s t be shared by those who have

done most to deserve it who know best ho w i t should be r

used — an d who ha ve the m ost powerful hereditary claims

upon the sympathy an d consideration of C hrist ians The time .

i s surely at hand when the badge o f ignominy shall be r e m oved

,

from them — a t least in Britain where but fo r the e x c ep ,

tion to which we refer Freedom is the birthrigh t o f every

,
’

native o f the soil C romwell knew their value to a state and

.

had he li v ed a few years longer the Jew would have been at ,

liberty to cultivate his own lands an d manure them ( if i t s o ,

pleased h i m ) with his ow n gold any where withi n the s e a girt ,

-

isle o f E ngland .

We must no lo n ger digress although upon a most important ,

and most interesting topi c but proceed to inform o u r readers ,

what they must already have anticipated that Zillah had little ,

inclination to wards the husband procured for her by her inj u

diciou s friends The Rabbi thoug h t it altogether a sui table
.

match particularly as I chabod could trace his descen t from the

,

tribe o f Levi and was o f undoubted we al th an d according

, , ,

to belief unspotted reputation ; but Zillah cared little for

,

reputation she knew not its value

, little for wealth for the ,

finest and rarest j ewels o f the world sparkled in gorgeous

variety upon her person so that she moved more like a rainbow ,

5 3
262 TH E B UCCANEE R .

than a living woman little very li ttle for the tribe of Levi;
,

and less than all for Ichabod His black eyes sh e likened to .

burn t cinders ; sh e saw no beau ty i n a beard stripe d and

mottled wi th grey although i t was perfumed with the swee ts
,

o f A raby an d oiled with as pure and u n de fi le d an unction as

,

that which flowed fro m the horn of the ancient Samuel upon
the head of the youth ful David His sta teliness provoked her .

mirth — his deafness her impatience ; an d when sh e co m

‘

pared him wit h the j oyous cavaliers the brilliant and cap ti ,
'

v atin g men who graced the court of the gay an d l u xu ri ou s

Louis for whos e gallant plumes and glitteri ng armour sh e so

,

often watched through her half closed latti ce she turned fro m -
,

t h e husband they would have g iven with a disgust that w as

utterly i nsupportable .

Her father had prevailed upon the family w ith whom sh e

lived to remove to Paris during his r esidence i n E ngland ,

w hich had been prolonged fro m day to day in compli an ce ,

with the desire of the Protec tor H e was anxious that his .

child should be i nstructed in such elegant arts as those in which

th e ladies o f Fran ce an d E ngland ex cell ed not remem
beri ng that in a young forward and ill e duca ted woman the
, , ,
-

dangerous desire of di splay succeed s the acquirement e f

accomplishments as surely and as regularly as day follows
n ight.

Thus shut u p in one of the most gloomy hotels in Paris

,

conveyed in a close carriage once or twice a week to the Bois

de Boulogne or the gardens of Versailles
, fearing to express
delight lest sh e shoul d be reproved for levity
, or desire for

any thing lest i t should be the very thing she would not be
,

permitted to possess the proud warm frank hear ted J e w e s s , ,

-

became gradual ly metamorphosed into the cunning passionate , ,

deceptive intriguante only waiting for an opportunity to de

,

ceiv a her guardians and obtain that which from being s o

, ,

strictly forbidden she concluded must be the grea test possible

,

enj oyment freedom o f word and action A las ! if we may .

use a homely phrase many are the victims to strai t lacing

,
-
,

bo th of stays and conscien ce

But if the old grey beard e d I chabo d had been an obj ect o f
,
-

dislike to the youthful and se l f w ill e d Jewess before she saw o

Sir Willmott Burrell h o w did she regard him afterwards

,

Manasseh B e n I srael had as we have intimated intrusted, ,

264 TH E B L C CA N E E R :

had cast her li fe u pon a die an d c ared n ot by what means h es

,
'

object was to be secured .

I t is on e o f the m ost extraordinary anomalies in the female

cha racte r that having on ce outs tepped the boundaries that are
, ,

never even though t upon but with danger it plunges deeper ,

and deeper still into irretrie v able rui n Perhaps it is becau se .

women must feel most acutely that society never permits them
to retrieve or what is m uch the same takes no cognis ance of
, , ,

their repen tance be it ever so sincere : their station once lost

,

is never to be regai ned it would see m as if Dante s i n s c rip ’

.
_

tion on the gates of Hell were to be for ever their motto

A ll ho pe abandon Man may err and err and be for
.
, ,

given but poor woman with al l his te mptations and but half,

h is strength is p l aced beyond the pale of earthly sal v atio n if

,

she be but once tempted into crime I t is a hard even tho u gh ,

.

i t may be a salutary law .

I t must be borne in mind that Zillah h ad committed as

great an iniquity in the eyes o f her people by marrying as by
intriguing ; nor could she expect pardon for either o ne o r the
other except by some wonderful and powerful interposition
, ,

such as Burrell held out I t was astonishing to witness th e.

fortitude with which the fragile and delicate J e w e s s who had ,

be e n clothed in purple and fine linen fed o n the most cos tly ,

viands and slept on the most down y couch encountered the

, ,

i llness terrors and miseries attendan t on a sea voyage in the

, ,

vessel of a Buccaneer The Fire fl y certai nly deserved every

.
-

encomium bestowed upon her by her captain yet was she n o t

the most pleasing residence for a delicately nurtured female -
.

N o murmur escaped her sealed lips n or in fact did she per , , ,

c e iv e the inconveniences by which s h e was surroun ded her

mind was wholly bent upon the prevention of Sir Willmott
Burrell s marriage of which she had heard from undoubted
’

authority ; and it would appear that s h e h ad no feelings n o ,

ideas to besto w upon or power to think o f other things

, , .

’
J e r om io s plotting but weak mind n ever satisfied with the ,

presen t eager for the future and anxious to make i t better by

, ,

foul means h ad con trived to bring in to u se an abandoned

,

exca v atio n under the ol d tower we have s o frequen tly men

tion e d which had been forsaken by Hugh Dalton s party ’

from i ts extreme dam pn e s s u They had fil led the entrance

with fragments o f rock and large stones but it w as known to
 g 65 i
TH E B U COAN E E B :
'

J er om io, who thinking that duri n g his occ asional visits to '

Gull s N est he migh t m anage to sm u ggle a little on his ow n

’

accoun t assisted by two o ther I talians as evil minded as h im

,
-

self arranged th e stones so as to permit o ne person at a tim e

, .
z

to creep into the wretched hole where he stowed away su clt ,

parts o f the cargo o f th e Fire fl y as h e could purloin from his -

too c onfi ding comm ander H e admitted Zill ah to a knowle dge

-
.

o f this cave as a place in which she migh t shelter ;

,
He knew .

her to be a female o f wealth and conseq u ence ; yet had no

idea o f her connection wi th the Master of Burrell whom he ,

had rarely seen ; an d though of n ecessity sh e occa s ionally

’
mixed with th e people o f the Gull s N est yet sh e expressed ,

so strong a desire for som e p l ace of privacy in th e n eighbour

hood of C ecil Place and pai d so liberally for i t withal that

, ,

he confided to her the secret of this cave the entrance to -

whi ch was n early under the window of the tower i n which

Barbara Iverk had been conceal ed on the n igh t when by her ,
’
lady s direction she sought to communi cate to Robin H ays
,

the perilous situation of the you n g C a v alier A t that time .

,

also th e Jewess s aw Sir Willmott for th e first time in E n g

,

land She h ad been o n the w atch ever sin ce her lan ding but
.
,

terror for her o w n wretched life had prevented her addressing

him openly The tones o f his well known voice had reach e d
.
-

her miserable cavern and roused her from a troubled slumber

,
.

She understoo d too little of his language to comprehend the

nature o f his communication to R ou pal l an d her first impulse ,

was to strike a d agger to his heart ; but this h e r womanly ,

a ffectio n preven ted and she suddenly wi thdr ew Subsequently

,
.
,

she wro te to Mrs C onstantia and trusted much to her ge

.
,

n e r os i t and truth f charac ter of w hich she had heard i n

y o ,

France ; but poor C onstance through the cowardice o f Jero ,

mio never received her packet and enraged an d ma ddened

, , ,

by the reports o f his imme di ate m arriage sh e resolved on

'

seeing Mistress C ecil and accomplished her purpose as sh e

, ,

thought w hen in fact she only saw Barbara Her j ealou sy

, .

and violence defeated her pur pose at that time ; but still her
determination remained fixed to prevent the union if her life ,

were to be the forfeit A fter meeting with the knight she

.
,

re treated into the earth from which sh e had s o suddenly

,
’
appeared much to the Mas ter of Burrell s astonishment who
,
"ad no knowledge whatever o f the cave though be doubted
,

,
266 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

’
not i t w as of Dal ton s preparing After securi ng the preacher, .

he e x amined every portion o f the rui ns most attentivel y but ,

w ithout success fo r sh e had learned to be as wily as a fox an d

, ,

had carefully secured the a perture through whi ch even her ,

delicate form passed with di fficulty .

I t would have touched a heart reta ining any degree of ,

feeli ng to se e that young and beauti ful woman within that

,

damp and noisome excavation so damp that cold and slimy

re ptiles clung to and crept over i ts floor and walls while th e

, , ,

blind worm nestled in the old apertures formed to admi t a

little air ; an d the foul toad and still m ore disgusting eft , ,

looked upon her as they would say

,
Thou art ou r sister ,
.

”
A nd here thought she
,
must the only child of Ma
,

nasseh Be n I srael array herse lf to m ee t the gaze o f the proud ,

beauty who would not dei gn to notice the letter o r the sup
p l ica tion o f the despised J e w e ss to meet the gaze o f the cold
ste rn E ngli sh and of the cruel man who points the finger of
,

scor n against her he h as destroyed Yet I seek but j usti ce .

,

but to be e c k no w l e dged as his wife in the open day an d ,

befor e an assembled people and the n he shall hear and see no

,

m ore of the Rabbi s daugh te r

’
I will hide myself from the
world and look upon all mankind as I do upon him
, with a
”
bitte r hatr ed Yet I was not always thus sh e continued , ,

as she clasped a j ewel on h er arm : The bracelet is too wide

for the shrunk flesh O ut ou t upon thee bauble ! 0 that
, ,

I could thus an d thus and thus trample into th i s

black and slimy earth every vestige of what I was and have
, ,

no more the power to think of what I am Is this the hap

pin e ss I looked for ? A re these the feelings o f my girlhood ?
My heart seems cold within me cold to every though t but ,

vengeance ! E ven the burden I carry it is part o f him ,

’
and wi th the groans that come in woma n s travail I will
mingle curses deep and blasting on its head 0 tha t I could
, ,
.

cast it fro m me ! A nd yet — and yet i t will be my own

”
child ! A nd th e feelings of the moth er triumphed for at ,

that thought the Jewess wept and tears are as balm to an

, ,

overwrough t mind at on c e a relief and a consolation Zill ah

,
.

wept an d was humanised A fter a little ti me she arrayed

, .
,

herself in befitting garments but pl aced pistols with in h er ,

.

boso m . Long be fore the appointed hour and despite the ,

watchfulne s s of Sir W ill m ott s spies sh e was secreted near ’

th e ru ined chapel adj oining C ecil Place .

26 8 TH E B U GC A N E E R .

profession of arms Their habi ts were staid and sober and .

if an y C avaliers did enter i n am on g them they were for ced ,

to behave themselves according to the fashion of their associ

ates which habit in a l ittl e time tamed their heedless ness into
, , ,

propriety There was no sin ging of profane songs i n the

.

guard room no filthy j es ting or foolish talking ; no drinking ;

-
,

their very breathing seemed su bdue d and nothing frigh ted ,

the tranquillity which res ted on the turrets at H amp ton and ,

pervaded its courts save the striking o f some iron heel on th e

,

ringing pavement or the neighing of some gal lant steed in th e

,

not distan t stables .

O n ce indeed a psalm wailed through the eas e m e n t from

, ,

o n e of the inner cour ts : it was s ung at first in a troubled

tone and in a low key but afterwards the sound was increased
, ,

by other voices and i t swelled u pon the ear in long and loud
continuance .

He has depar ted then ob served o n e of the sentries to ,

an armed man wh o stoo d n e ar the car r iage

,

~
.

I supp os e s e an d I t rust i n the Lord was the r e

-

, , , ,

Doubtless yet the hear t w as strong for life His High .

ness w ill be sorrowful .

He wi ll ; but grace abounded greatly h e w as on e of the

’ ”
Lord s best soldi er s and fought w ell in the good cause ,
.

IVou l d that my time w as pa sse d ! I would fai n uplift my

vo rce with theirs .
’

I will go there forthwith replied he in armour ; and ,

Robin heard the echo of hi s s tep die in the distance E re the .

m essenger despatched by the o ffi cer of the guard had T8

, , 1

turned a sort of rambling drowsy con ve rsatio n was carried on

,

by th e soldiers within which onl y reached the quick ear of the ,

Ranger at in tervals .

His Highness h as been tormented to night methinks -

the length of a s um mer day ough t to sati s fy t h ose who want

”
to see him .

The sun had set a go od hour or more when Sir Ch ris wph er ,

Packe the worshipfu l Lord Mayor passed l n

, ,
. .

H is Highness replied the s te rn gru ff voice of an ol d

,

soldier is of the people ; and he knows th at h is duty

, n ext
”
to aw aitin g the Lord always
, is to wai t o n them .

”
His ti me is not an easy on e then though t Robin and , ,
 run B UCCANEE R . 269

as
. he so though t the messenger returned with an order that
,

th e Rabbi should be immedi ately admitted Th e lumbering .

carriage passed under on e archway an d traversed a small ,

court then under another then across the next then

stopped an d on e of the pri n cipal servants opened the door an d
, ,

requested Manasseh to descen d .

Her Highness he said h ad been indisposed

,
the ,

Lord Protector therefore hoped the w or th y Is r aelite would

, ,
‘

not obj ect to walk across the next court as her chamber w as ,

nearly over the entrance .

The Jew leaned upon Robin for support as they mounted ,

the fligh t o f steps leading to the gran d en trance hall H e .

paused o n ce or twice they were many in number an d hard ,

to climb for o n e bent with age and n o w b ow e d down by trou ,

ble When they arri v ed at the great door he perceived that,

.
,
'

i nstead of two there were four s en tr ie s w h o stood two on

, , ,

each side like fixed statues an d the torch their conductor c ar

, ,

ried glittered on the bright points of their swords that reste d

o n the ground The stair w as faintly illumined by on e large
.

massive iron lamp hanging from the ceiling an d flickering

, , ,

s o as to show the outline not the minuti ae of the obj ects .

,

When they had fairly entered the great hall Robin trul y ,

an d sin cerely wished himself safely ou t again the more par

tic u l ar l y when he saw mingled with the pages an d ser v ants i n
,

waiting some tried and t rusty soldiers by whom if his dis

, , ,

guise were penetrated he would be better known than tru sted

, .

I t was on e thing to steal and pry about a place and another ,

to be only separated by a single plank o f oak from C romwell

the all powerful all seei n g Protector o f E ngland
-

,
-
liable
to be called at once into his presence ; for the Jew might
mention doubtless wo u ld mention that on e who h ad
served Sir Willmott Burrell and kne w much of hi s doings was , ,

in attendance .

This m agn ificen t room though used as a hall of audien ce ,

o n state occasions w as generally occupied by the guards r e

, ,

tain e rs and petitioners of the Protectorate

, There was a long .

table o f r u de workmanship near the door at which they en

te r e d above was a lamp si m ilar in size and c on s tr u c tion to ‘

that which swung outside —many assembled round o r sat ,

close to this table while others walked up and down

, ,
not
'

passing ho wever the cen tre of the hall whi ch w as c ros se d by

, , ,
 27 0 TH E B U CCAN EE R .

a silk cord of crimson fastened in the middle to two brass

,

poles sta nding s u fli c ien tl y apart to permit on e person at a

,

time to enter ; and also guarded by a single se ntinel w h o ,

w al ked so as to pass and repass the opening every half minute .

Manasseh paced slowly towards the soldier , stil l leani n g o n

Robin His conductor kept a little i n advan ce bowing on
.
,

either side while a conciliating smile li ngered o n h is lip until

, ,

he cam e to the silken line .

’
O nly on e may pass w as the soldier s brief noti ce and
the Rabbi grasping his sta ff more firmly walked to the door
, ,

opposite the great en trance which was guarded also by ah ,

other sentinel .

You can find a seat — that is if you choose to sit sai d ”

, ,

the servi tor sneeringly to Robin pointing at the same time to

, ,

an empty corner of the hall .

O r would it please you I descend to the apartments o f

"
the lower servants ? inquired the Ranger remembering the ,

m eekness befitti ng the character of a Jew .

’
N one leave this hall after entering i t by his Highness s
,
”
permission till they rec eive orders to that e ffect he replied
, , ,

turn ing from Robin who slunk to the place assigned hi m in

, ,

no very agreeable m ood .

If his imaginings were o f an unpleasant description stil l ,

more s o were the observations ma de aloud by the pages flip ,

pan t both by nature and usa ge and the sarcastic and cool j ests , ,

gi ven forth at his expen s e by the more sober persons of the

assembly .

"
W o u ldst like any refreshment friend ? inquired a ,

youth in a sad coloured tunic and blue vest over which fell a
-

,
’
plain collar of the finest Valenciennes lace so as to cover h is ,
“ ”
shoulders . A nd yet continued the m alapert
,
methinks ,
’
there is nothing to o ffer thee but some ham or preserved pigs ,
”
tongues which o f course thou tastest not of
, , ,
.

”
N o I humbly thank ye young sir replied Robin
, , ,
’ ”
do not need the pigs tongu es having ta sted o f thi ne , .

What mean you by that Jew dog said the boy fierce ly
, ,

laying his hand on his sword .

N othing fair gentleman except it be that thine th o u gh

, , ,

well preser v ed would fai n take up the business of th y white

,

H ow , knave P
 TH E B U COA N E E R .

declaration ; an d all but the two youngsters appeared more

than usual ly intent upon whatever they were employed about
’
before the R abbi s entrance Youth is a bad courtier ever .
,

pre ferring frolic and amusement to sobri ety and atten tion .

’
They had been at once piqued and pleased by Robin s smart
ness and resolved to whet their own wit upon so well tempered
,
-

a steel .

Wert ever at cour t before P inquired the younger .

’
N o sir an please ye
, ,
.

A nd what think ye of it ?
N othing as yet sir , .

No thing l how is that ?

Because I have not had time ; and if the small things of ,

life req u ire thoughtfulness how much more must the great ,

things of a court !
Shouldst like to turn C hristian and live at cou rt ?
Heaven forbid ! A ll I should be turned to would be
ridicule and that is a wonderful lowerer o f the consequence
,

of even a serving man

”
Hush ! said the elder page there goes C olonel John
”
Jones .

A s the brother in law of th e Protector approached the

- -

several persons in the hall ro se and saluted him with con

s ide r abl e respect His aspect was stern and rigid : his whole
.

person firm and erect ; and whatever his faults might have
been he gave one the idea of a person who doing w rong
, , ,

thought it right H is eyes were generally upturned and

.
,

there was a good deal o f enthusi as m i n the expression o f the

upper portio n o f his countenance while the fi rm set m outh ,
-

and broad muscular chin betokened the most i nflexible reso

l u tion . H e proceeded towards the cord we have before men
ti o n e d ex changed a few words with the sentry and then r e
, ,

turned to the door whereby he had entered While unclosing .

i t be perceived Robin and struck by his Jewish appearance

, , , ,

altered his course and approached him .

The Ranger bent most lowlily to the ground for he well ,

knew the venerati on this man excited bot h amongst soldiers

and Puritans .

O ne of the cast aways within the san ctuary ! he said

-

”
i n a stern reproving voice H o w is i t ? .
 M
TH E B UCCANE E R . 27 3

Sir his master the Rabbi tarrieth w ith h is Highness

'

, , , ,

replied the elder page .

I t is evil and of evil ret urned C olonel Jones with s till

, , ,

more severity The cl ean and the unclean the believer and
.
,

th e unbeliever the o ffscouring of the earth with the chosen o f

,

the Lord ! W h y is he not cas t forth yea into outer dark ,

ness ? Why should th e filthy vulture make hi s nest with the

eagles ? Dog of a Jew out into the highway , ,
”
l
r May i t please ye in terrupted Gracious ean w ell ,
h is ,

High n ess has j ust issued express orders that this man be
”
care full y tended and kept wi thin , .

The C olonel cast a look full of displeasure at the messenger ,

and without trusting himself to utter another word str ode ,

from the hall .

You s ee where we would send J ews observed on e of ,

the lads.

E v en where they woul d rather be .

”
H o w where P
,

Far fro m y e .

A nd dee m ye i t not an honour to be admitted wi thin

”
these walls P
A y sir such honour as a poor merli n would feel at being
, ,

caged with honourable and right honourable eagles But .

would ye unravel me kind young gentlemen if C olonel Jones , ,

is often seen without his Patients ?

O h ! you mean the preache r do ye ? Why yes fr e , .
, ,
”
quently n o w a days - -
.

A h what a blessing that must be !

A s h ow ? master Jew .

Because others can have their soles mended .

The j est upon the miserabl e fanatic Patients who had b ee n ,

a stocking footer in London was n o t lost upon the lads

-

, ,

though they dared not countenan ce it by a very boisterous

laugh : they resol v ed however to become m ore intimately , ,

acquai n ted with the facetious J e w .

Y ou ou gh t n o t t o laugh s o loud Morrison

~

said the , ,

elder p age . You know y ou are a sort of nephew to h is

H i ghness now that your uncle Doctor Wilkins is married to
, , ,
’
the Lady French his Highness s sister , .

”
A n d here is my un cle returned the other He said , .

he h ad permission to call for me A h he is never angry at .

T
27 45 TH E B UCCANE E R .

a li ttle jest so long as i t is innocen t I heard a gentleman

,
.

say last n ight that he was by nature witty by i ndustry

‘
,
’
learne d by grace godly
,
What think ye of that for a cha
.

r ac te r P
A s the subj ect of this panegyric drew near Robin thought ,

h e had never seen a more sweet or gracious countenance : he

“
‘
"
looked peace on earth and good will towards men H is .

entire expression was that o f pu re benevolen ce ; and though

the eye was something wild a n d dreamy yet i t was gentle ,

withal and of marvellous intelligence H e seemed like one

, .
,

and such he t ruly was to whom the future as well as the ,

presen t would be deeply indebted The use he made o f his .

alliance wi th the C romwell family must ever be regarded as

m ost noble instead of aggrandising himself an d his frien ds ,

he ren de red i t only subservient to the great wish o f his heart

the promotion o f learning which i t cannot be denied was at , , ,

that time in danger of being overthrown by bigotry and fana

t icis m for this reason i t w as that he opportunely in terposed
to shelter O xford from the moroseness o f O wen and Godwin .

Well m ight his eye look dreamy How could that o f the .

author of a Discovery of a N ew World look otherwi s e ?

He openly maintained that not only was the moon habitable , ,

but that it was possible for a man to go there His reply to .

the Duchess o f N ewcastle herself a visionary when she j este d , ,

a little at his theory although su fficiently known is still

, ,

worthy o f repetition .

Where am I to find a place for baiting at in my way up ,

to that planet ? she inquired o f the Doctor .

Madam replied he ,
o f all the people i n th e world
,
I ,

n ever expected th a t question from you who have built so many ,

castles in the air that you may lie every night at one of your
,
”
o wn .

A s h e con ducted his nephew to the door he turned back to ,

"
look on Ro bin Y ou have not teased the poor Jew I hope ?
,

he said to the pag e .

No but he h as worried us uncle you know not what ,

a W
”
it s n ap per i t is
-
.

Indee d art thou a Solomon friend ? ,

A n please ye sir the wisdom as well as the glory has

’

, , , ,
”
departe d from ou r people said Robin , .

”
I care lit tle for the glory observed the Doctor who was , ,
27 6 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

on the bou gh o f some wild cherr y tree and a man whose hair -

, ,

was combed over his brow whose step was slow w h ose e yes , ,

appeared to seek commune wi th Heaven killed that bird and , ,

then devoured all the cherries A li ttle of that red frui t would .

’
have served the singing bird for the length o f a long summ er s
-

day and i t could h ave su n g to its mate til] when the n igh t
, ,
’
came they sheltered in eac h other s bosom yet he th e m an
, ,

w ith the smooth hair and the holy eye kill ed the small bird ,

but mark ye sir he ate the ch erries all every one Though
, , , , .

I am as o n e lacking sense and only a serving Jew I trow he , ,

lacked charity !

M
U ncle whispered th epage creeping u p to his ear
,
can , ,

this m an be indeed a Jew ? H e bath a blue eye and an

E nglish tongue ; and surely n ot an Israeli tish heart see tha t
”
he deceive us not .

My dear boy peace said th e simple yet learned Doctor

, ,

let the wisdom of this poor child of I srael teach thee to be

m ore humble minded ; fo r look ye who might n o t profi t by
-

, ,

his words P
T h e ex cellen t man would have spoken much more to our
friend Robin who migh t not inaptly be liken ed to a dark
,

lan tern wi thin which i s much light thou gh i t i s only occa

, ,

s ion all
y gi ven forth ; but on the instant Gracious e an w ell

summoned h im to appear be fore th e Protector .

The Lord deli v er me ! the Lord deliver me muttered

Robin as he followed h is c onduc tor past the silken barrier
,

The Lord deliver me 1for of a truth my head is n ow fairly , ,

’"
in the lion s m outh .

The room in to which he was ushered thus abruptly w as

hung with ancien t t apestr y and furnished after the stran gest ,

fashion Robin had li ttle inclination to examine either its

.

pre portio n s or arrangements but tremblingly followed un til ,

h is g uide paused with him opposite a long narrow table at the ,

further end o f which his ha n d resting upon a pile of bo oks ,

,

stood the Protec tor O liver C romwe ll .

I t was impossible to l ook u po n him wi thout feeling that he

was a m a n born to com m and and to overthro w His cou n te .

nance though swollen and reddish was marked and powerful

, , ,

and his pres ence as lofty and majestic as if he had of righ t ih

h e r ite d the throne of E ngland H owever h is enemies migh t .

have j ested upon h is pers onal appearance, and mocked th e

 TH E B U CCANEE R . Q7 7

ruddiness o f h is countenance and the unseemly wart that ,

disfigured his broad lo fty and proj ecting brow they m ust
, , ,

h ave all tre m bled under th e thun der o f his frown : it was ter
r i fic
,
dark and scowling lighted up occasionally by the fl ash
, ,

ing of his fierce grey eye but only so as to show i ts powe r ,

still the more His d ress consisted of a doublet and vest o f

.

black velvet carefully put on and o f a handsome fashion ; a

, ,

deep col lar o f the fines t linen embroidered an d edged w ith ,

l ace turned over his vest and displayed to gr eat advan tage
, ,

his firm and remarkably muscular throat H is hair whic h .

,

seemed by that ligh t as dark and luxurian t as it had b e en in

his younger age fell at either side but w as completely combed
, ,

o r pushed o ff his massive forehead He look ed in very truth .

, ,

a m ost strong man strong in mind strong in body s trong , ,

i n battle strong in council There was no weakness about

,
.

him except that engendered by a war m imagination acting in

,

concert with the deepest veneration and which rendered h im ,

ever and unhappily prone to supe rstitious dreamings .

When Robin entered there was no o n e in the room but the ,

Lord B rogh ill Manasseh Ben I srael and a little girl

,
My , .

’
Lord B rogh ill who was one of th e Protector s cabinet coun
,

s el l or s had been sen t for from Ireland to go to Scotland and

, ,

be President of the C ouncil there but soon we arying o f the ,

place h ad j ust returned to London and pos ted down imme

, ,

dia te l y to Hampton Cou r t z— h e was bidding the Protector

good night and that with much servility
,
The presence of .

Robin was yet unnoticed save by the Jew Before his Lord .

ship had left the chamber eve n as his foot was on the th re s ,

hold C romwell call ed h i m back

,
.

"
My Lord B r ogh il l .

The cabinet counsellor bowed and returned .

I forgot to mention there is a great friend of yours in,

”
Lon don .

Indeed ! Please your Highness who i s it ? ,

My Lord of O rmond replied the Protector H e came ,

.

to to w n o n Wednes day last about three of the clock upon a , ,

sm al l grey mule and wearing a brown but ill made and shabby
,
-

doub let H e lodges at White Friars num ber — somet h ing

.
,

bu l you my Lord
”
o r other b e added pointedly wi ll have
, , , ,
”
no di ffi c ulty in finding him out .

“
I cal l the Lord to witness sai d B rogh ill casting up h is , ,

T 3
27 8 TH E B UCCANE E R .

eyes a fter the most a pproved Puri tan fashion I call the
Lord to wit ness I know nothing o f i t !
,

C romwell gathered h is eyebrows and looked u pon h im for a

moment with a look which made the proud lord tremble ;
then se nding fo r th a species of hissing noise from between his
teeth soun ding like a prolonged hish — h — h — h
,
N ever .

th e l e s s I think y o u may as well tell him that I know i t Good

,
.

nigh t my Lord good night

, ,
'

He s had his night cap put on and now for mine though t
-

, ,

little Robin who as be ad v anced bowing all the way u p the

, , ,

room could not avoid observing ( even un der such circum

, ,

stances there w as something singularly touchi n g in the fact )

, ,

that a li ttle girl a child of about six or seven years ol d sat o n

, ,
’
a stool at the Protector s feet her fair arms twined around h is,

knee and her plain but expressive face looking u p to his

, , ,

and watching every movement o f his features with m ore than

childish earnestness A s Robin drew near she stood up and
.
, ,

contempla ted him with very natural curiosity .

“
C loser young man — still closer said th e Protector ;
, ,
”

o u r sight g r ows dim ; and yet we will see distinctly and ,

wi th ou r own eyes too — for the eyes of others serve u s n o t

"
.

Robin did as he was comman de d bowing and shaking all ,

the time like th e figure o f a mandarin The Protector ad .

v an c e d o n e step towards h im and then plucked at the

R anger s beard with so strong a hand that i t deserted h is
’

,
’
chin and dangled between C romwell s fingers A t this the
, .
,

child set u p a loud and merry abou t o f laughte r but not so

did the incident a ffect the Pro tector to whose m ind treachery ,

w as ever present be instantly exclaimed ,

G u ar ds l what ho wi thout there ! Five or six rushed

into the room and laid han ds upon Robin who o ffered no r e ,

s is tan ce s u bmi tting to their mercy

, .

“
Your Highness has mistaken said Ben Israel ; t here ,

i s no treachery in the young man I have told your High .

n es s how he came to me and what h e knows Your ser v ant ,

.

has not spoken words o f falsehoo d but o f truth , .

“
But you did n ot tell me he w as n ot a Jew : y ou know
”
h i m not as I do w as the Protector s reply :
,
“
he consorts ’

w ith then suddenly checking him s elf he co n tinued , ,

“
addressing the soldiers : But search h i m gently wi thal
peradventure he has no secret weapons we would n o t deal
28 0 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

m e ditated the destruction o f Walter De Guerre C romwell .

listened to the details with much atten tion ; but it was not
un til this portion of his story w as concluded that with his , ,

usual w iliness h e told the Ranger that as it had nothi n g to

, , ,

do with Manasseh Ben I sr ael i t need not have been men ,

ti on e d .

The Protector then comm anded Sir John B erk s te ad to his

presence and di rected that a troop of horse should be had in
,

i mmedia te readiness and that i n a fe w minutes he would

, , ,

name to C olonel Jones the o ffi cer who was to accompany

them and the pla ce of their destinati on
, .

A nd now let us to bed Will my little Bridget bid her .

grandfather good n ight ? and he kissed the child with much

tenderness People wonder w h y I trust thee in m y councils ;
.

but God hath given th ee a soul of truth and a secret tongue

thou gr o w e st pale with late sitting and that must n o t be , .

The Protector clasped his hands and said a few words o f ,

prayer o v er the girl who knelt at his feet ,

.

Good Manas seh I would recommend your resting here

,

to night ; you need repose but I must detain your serving

-
,

man Wi thout there

.

A n at tendant entered .

“
C onduct thi s person to A whisper told the re
m ain de r of the sentence and Robin w as led from the apart ,

men t .

Very few lingered in the great h all the pages were sleeping
soundly and though they encountered C olonel John Jones
, ,

he did not recognise Robin who despoiled o f his beard and , ,

black h air looked so much like the servan t o f Sir Willmott

,

Burrell as to be though t such by more than on e o f the at

,

te n dan ts A s he passed throu gh the second court his gui de

.
,

suddenly turn ed into a smal l arched door way and dir ecte d -

Robin to proce ed up a narrow flight of winding stairs that ,

°

appeared to have no term ination Robin on c e halted for .

breath bu t w as obliged to pro ceed an d at length found him

, ,

self in a small cell li ke apartmen t w ith a narrow sky light

,
-

,
-

opening as he conj ectured on the palace roof

, ,
.

H ere his attendan t left him wi thout s o much as good “

,
”
nigh t and he had the sa tisfaction of hearing the key turn
,

wi thi n the rus ty lock .

The mistiness of the n ight had passed away and th e moon ,

 TH E BU cc a N E E H ‘
. 28 I

looked down in un clouded m aj esty upon th e courts and tur

rets of the House at Hampton .

Robin seated himself o n his truckle bedstead upon whi ch ,

m erely a rude straw mattress covered with a blanket w as , ,

thrown and which for augh t he kne w h ad been occupied b y

, , ,

a thousand prisoners before h im but however bitter and s ar ,

c as tic his min d might be i t was not given to despond and h e

,

soon began to reflect o n what had p assed A lthough it w as .

not by any means the first time he had been face to face with
the Protector yet it was the first time he had ever s ee n h im
,

wi th any of the indications of hu man feeling H e has made .

”
many children fatherless thought the Ranger an d yet s e e
, ,

how fo n d he is o f that ill favoured girl who is the very picture -

of him s lf ! Poor Wal ter ! Well I wonder what has been

e
,

done with h im I had a g reat mind to ask but there is some ,

thing about him that were he never a Protector o ne would

, , ,

j us t as soon not make free with A s Robin though t thus h is .

,

eyes were fixed o n the ligh t and flitting clouds and he w as ,

longi n g to be free and abroad in the moonbeams that entere d ,

h i s cell only to smile o n hi s captivity w hen some opaque body

stood between h im and the light so that he was for a momen t ,

almost in darkness About three minutes after the same c fl e c t

'

.
,
’
occurred ; and presently a man s face was placed close to the
glass evidently with the design of seeing into the room
,
.

A hoy there !
-
shouted the Ranger The face was with .

drawn and no an s wer returned but immediately afterwards

, ,

the key grated in the lock and the Protector hi mself entered ,

the chamber .

C H A P T E R X IV .

G r u nd o . A nd w h
d i d th e y th e r e tal k ab o u t
at
J u l za . I" f i th I h ard l y k n o w b u t w as a dvi s ed
’
a , ,

I w a s a m os t c u n n i n g p a r l e y
‘
.

G ru ndo . I d o w e ll c r e d i t i t .

I W OU LD rather talk to him i n that ol d tapestried hall ,

though t Robin than in this narrow chamber There I coul d

,
.

have a ru n for my life ; but here Heaven help me ! I am ,

”
fairly in for it .
28 2 TH E B UCCA NEE R .

The roo m is passing close the air is heavy We re th e , ,

’
Protector s first words follo w me to the palace roo f w h ere -

there can be no listeners save the pale stars and they prate
, ,
’
not of man s doings .

Robin followed C romwell up a narrow flight of steps so ,

narrow that the Protec tor could hardly climb them They .

were terminated by a trap door leading to the roof ; and there

-

these two men so di ffe rent in s tation and in sta ture stood to
, ,

gether on a species o f leaden platform which by day com ,

m ands a most beautiful and extensive vie w of the surrounding

country ; at nigh t there w as nothing to be seen but th e dim
outline of the distan t hills and the dark woods that formed th e
,

foreground .

Scarce a sound w as heard save o f the breeze wailing among

.

the many turrets of the proud palace and now and then the ,

tramp o r challenge of the sentri e s at the different outposts as ,

they passed to and fr o u pon thei r ever watc hful guard -

.

I bel ieve your real name is Robin Hays ? said the Pro
tector .

Your Highness i t is so .

A nd you are the son o f one Mary or Margery proprietor ,

o f a n hos telry called the Gull s N est ?

’

,
“
The son of Margery H ays as your Highness h as said , ,

who God be thanked ! still lives in a quiet corner of the I sle

,

o f Sh e e
p y and o f her good husband Michael who h as now
, ,
”
been dead many years .

I take i t for granted that you know your ow n mother ;

but i t is a wise son who knows his o w n father Impurities .

are praised be th e Lord ! fast fleeing from the land but they
,

were rife once rife as blackbe rries that grow by the roadside
,
.

Yet this is n ought what business brought you here P

Your Highness knows : I came with the R abbi Ben I srael .

"
P arry n o t with me exclaimed the readily irritated C rom
,
-

I repeat why came ye here ?

,

Your Highness is acquainted w ith the reason of my

”
c om m g.

I do know ; but I also choose to know it from yourself .

Why came ye here ?

’
Just then to seek ou t on e w h o h as fallen into your H ighness s
’
c lutches ; with favour I would say under your Highness s
, ,
28 4 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

pate C aval ier who has too much bloo d and too lit tle brains for
,

aught but a cock thro w Young man I know the doings at

- .
,

your Gull s Nest C rag — I have been advised thereupon

’
.

Lis ten there has been hardly a m ale con te nt fo r m onths in the
co u ntry who has not there found shelter Were I inclined to .

pard on vagabonds I might bestow the mercy with which the

,

Lord has intrus ted me upon poor misguided wretches ; but

Dalton has been a misguider him self With m y own good .

steed and aided by only three on whom I could depend I

, ,

traced two of those leagued with Miles Syn de r co mb to their

earth at the very time when Hugh Dalton w as lying i n h is
,

Fire fl y o ff the coas t — IV hat waited he for the re ? That

-

Buccaneer h as imported Malignants by dozens scores hun , ,

dreds into the C ommonwealth ; and now the ree v er expects

,

pardon ! for I have been solicited thereon Mark m e ! the .

'

Lord s hand is stretched out and will not be withdrawn until ,

his nest be turned up even as the plough u proo te th and seat

,

ter e th the nest of the fi el d mouse and the b lind mole ; and -

mark yet farther Robin Hays — there is a book in which is

, ,

w ritten the name of every o n e concerned in those base pra c

t ices and opposite to each name is a red cross a red cross ,

I sa y which s ign ifi e th the shedding o f bl ood and as surely

as the stars above us know their secret course a long the path
way o f th e resplendent heavens so surely shall all those trai tors , ,
’

reevers buccaneers upsetters peris h by the Lord s hand

, , ,

u nless i t please th the Spirit to infuse i ts moving power into

some o f their hearts so that on e o r m ore o f them may point

,

the secret entrance into this cavern where there is great trea ,

sure and whereby blood shedding and much trouble may be

,
-

spared I f such an influence w as happily exercised

. was I ,

say h appily exercised over the m inds or mind of any o ne of

,

this accursed cre w he might not only be spared but rewarded

, ,

with much that th e heart of man longeth after C romwell .

pau sed and fixed his eyes on the Ranger who spoke no word
, , ,

and made no gesture of reply .

C ould not such h e found ? he continued addressing ,

Robin more pointedly than before .

A person found did your Highness ask who would betray

, ,

his comrades unto death and give up his mas ter s property to ,
’

des truction P
N o, I meant not that : but th ink ye, is there not on e,
 TH E B UC CANE E R . 28 5

who convinced of the wickedness o f his past w ay s w ou l d lead

, ,
'

blind Justice on the right track insomuch that plundered ,

‘

property m ight be restored to i ts rightfu l owners and the cau se ,

o f the Lord and his people be forwarded m any steps ?

May I speak to your Highness as a man or as a servant ? ,

inquired Robin .

E v en as a man I am neither a king nor a tyran t .

Then with all respect I s ay that such m en m ay be found ;

‘
, ,

but they would be unworthy pardon much less re w ar d May , .

i t please your High n ess a Buccaneer is to m y mind only on e

, , ,

who takes ad v antage of troubled times to secure unto himsel f

the mos t power and the most property that he can The sea .

i s as free to h im as the land to to to any other man H is .

is no coward s trade for he risks his all and is neither an

, ,

ass assin nor a traitor nor a rebe l nor a

, , ,
”
Peace atom peace ! inte rrupted C r omwell ; I did n o t
, ,

w a nt to hear your reasons on the lega l ity and j ustice and , ,

mercy of the Buccaneer ; I o nl y ga v e y ou to understand ( and

I kno w ye to be quick o f comprehension ) that I w ished for
i nformation touching this retreat this maze this labyrinth
this embowelling o f n ature formed in the cl i ffs a
y and
, ,

that in m ore than o n e place along the Kentish coast ,

that
s o I m ight erase one red cross at the least Mark ye knav e .
,

your o w n name is in the list though I may regret it seeing , ,

that there is a mixture of honest blood in your veins and a ,

sprinkli ng o f wit in your head which might lead to so m e dis ,

tinction .Worse men than you have risen to high places .

Your Highness mocks me ! Wi t ! high place ! Wi th

this mis shapen bo dy tackled to a world of wi t — a plac e as high
-

as any o f those tur rets that cut the midnight air still shoul d ,

I be a thing for men to scorn Your Highness bitterly mocks

me
I m ock no one ; it is ill C hristian sport But at your .

o w n pleasure within the sp ace o f fi fteen minutes y ou may

go forth from this our house conduct a chosen fe w to the ,

Gull s N est C rag — poi nt ou t i ts ways

’
give u s the n ecessary
inform ation as to the other smuggling sta tions telegraph the -

Fire fl y into smooth water and th e n ext s u n will rise on a

-

rich ay and a well favoured gentleman

, ,
-

”
With a damned black heart ! exclaimed Robin whose ,

fai thful spiri t beat s o warmly in h is bosom that he forgot for

28 6 TH E B UCC A N E E R .

an instan t in whose presen ce he stood and gave full vent to ,

his feelings which doubtless he would not have done had h e

,

seen the ex pression o f C romwell s countenance — that awe

’

inspiring countenance which had full often sent back the

unspoke n words from the Open lips of h ol der m e n who looked
upon him .

Wi th that I have nothing to do said the Protector calmly , ,

after taking another turn along the platfor m but y o u mis

take the case i t is only j ustice simple j ustice , .

”
My Lord Protector of E ngland said Robin whose thin , , ,

disproportioned figure as i t m oved i n the dim light might

, ,

have been taken for a dark s pirit summoned to some incant

ation My Lord with you it m ay be j ustice you belie v e the
,

Buccaneer deals n o t only in the free trade but imports persons ,

’
who endanger your Highness s life and the peace of your pro
rectorate I believe fro m m y soul that he never bore o ff or
.
, ,

brought over on e o f the Syn der c o m b gang o r any that had ,

evil inte n t against your person There are others who deal in .

that way ; and now when h e is solici ting your mercy i t would
, ,

speak but littl e for his wisdom if he went on provoking your

vengeance My Lord Hugh Dalton h as a daughter and it is
.
, ,

to save her name from ever continuing disgrace that he pants -

for honest em ployment A nd may i t n o t o ffend your Highness

.
,

for one so ill read as myself i n a u ght that is good or godl y to

-

remind you that the Bible somewhere tell s o f those who were
received into pardon and glory at the eleventh hour A s to .

m y s elf could your Highne s s make me what my hea r t h as so

,

pan ted after but as vainly as th e carrion crow migh t seek to

,
-

be the gallant falcon o f the chase — could you give me a wel l

proportioned figure make me one who could repel an injury
o r protect a friend — stretch out this dw ar fi sh body to a proper

length — con tract these arms and place the head righ t we ll ,

U pon a goodly pe desta l then give me we alth rank all

a man s heart covets in this most covetous world — weigh these
’
“

advanta ges against a portion of Hugh Dalton s life ; — the scale ’

’
turns in the air m y Lord ,
there s nothing in t ! ’

C romwell fol ded his arms in silence while Robin who had , ,

been much excite d wiped th e night dew fr o m his brow and

,
-

sighed hea v ily as having rid hi m self of that which weighed

,

upon his conscience .

O ne word more young m an those who hear the Pro

,
93 8 8 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

m ore slowly raised and his eyes that so lately drank in the
, ,

rays Of his o w n star with so much exultation fell upon th e ,

spot where the little defo r med prisoner even Robin H ays Of , ,

the Gul l s N est C rag w as incarcerated

’

,A gain he S poke .

C omplimented by the s ubtle Frenchman feared by the cun ,

n ing Spaniard caressed by the temperate Dutch knelt to by

, ,

the debased Portuguese honoured by the bigoted Pope holding

, ,

the reins of E ngland — Of E urope — Of the world in these ,

ha n ds — the father Of m an y children — have I so true hearted

r -

a friend as to su ffer the sc ale Of his o w n in terests to turn in

,

th e air m y li fe weighing so much the more in th e balance ?

,

Truly my heart warmed at his fideli ty it is worth all price ,

e t no pri ce that I can o ffer w ill purcha se i t In m y youth a

y .

v ision said I should be greate st in this kingdom Greatest I .

am and yet I may be greater but w ill a name the name at

, ,

which I scorned increase m y power ? H e from whom I took

,
’
that name was more beloved than I O h tis a fearful game .
, ,

this game o f kingdoms ! crowns ay and bloo dy ones bloody , , ,

crowns for foot balls ! w h ile treachery dark cunning slippery

-
, , ,

t reachery stands by wi th many a mask to m ock and foil our

,

finest sporting ! God to my aid i N ow that success has

broken down all Opposition I am in the face the very teeth , ,

Of my strongest temptations forbid O Lord ! that they should ,

conquer me when I have conquered all things else ! G od to

,

m y aid O ne foot u pon the very throne from which I —not

I alone — prai se Heaven for that — not I alone bu t many ,

dragged him A gain fo r a brie f time he stood with

fol ded arms his back leaning against a turret and afterwards
,

h is step w as q uick and agi ta ted and much he doubtless me ,

dita te d upon the crown whic h he well knew a strong party of

the parliament would te n der for his acceptance and then he
paused and muttered as before My chi ldren princes ! May .

be wedded to the mightiest ! But will they ? Sti ff necked -

and stubbor n There is but o ne who loves me only one on

wh o m I doat and she l i ke all things lo v ed and lovely fading
, , ,

from before mine eye s as the soft mist fades from the bro w of
,

some harsh and rugged mountain which is shrouded and , ,

sof tened and fertilised before the proud sun climbed the high
,

est arch of heaven A h ! the sentry at the out w ard gate is

sleeping . Let him rest on poor wr etch I c annot sleep
, . .

’
A nd there s a light in the ap artment o f my Lord B rOgh ill :
 TH E
. B UCCANEE R . 28 9

perhaps he writes to his friend O rmond I had him th ere .

h o w pale he grew ! I have them — know them all ! could

crus h them i n this hand ; yet God knows I would not ; i t has
”
had enough to do with that already .

A nd then sobs sobs that came from the Protector s heart

’

, ,

burst from his lips and he fell i nto on e of those passions Of

,

tears and prayers to which Of l ate he had been Often subj ect .

I t soon subsided and th e m an s o extolled and admired by the

,

o n e party so ab u sed and vilified by th e other so feared by

all — retired i n silen ce an d in sorrow to his couch .

C H A P T E R XV .

W h at is th e i
e x ste n c e o f m an ’
s life
It
“
IS a y li d
w e ar s o tu e
d h h y l g i l de
W h rc h ot s o r t j o s , on w oe s n c u
T h e w or ld g p l
th e s ta e , t h e r o og u e te ar s,
v df
Th e a c ts, v a m h Ope a n d a r i e e a rs ;
h i h l Of b
T h e s c e n e s u ts u p w t oss h re a t ,
l v
A n d e a es n o e pi l g
o ue but d h eat . H E N RY K IN G .

”
A N D it s come to
’
this is i t ? exclaimed Sol omon Grun dy, ,

w h o sat enthroned like a m onarch of good cheer among the

beings of h is o w n creation i n the buttery at C ecil Pl ace
“ A nd it s come to this is it ? an d there s to be no feasting
’
a
’

wedding fast in li eu of a wedding feast

-
N O banquet i n th e -

hall — n o merry making in the kitchen ! I migh t have let

-

that poor shrivelled preacher cut i nto the centre of my pasty ,

and ravish the heart Of my deer stu ffe d as it is with toma , ,

toes and golden pippi ns h e migh t have taken the doves unto
his bosom and carried the frosted antlers on his head they
,

woul d have been missed by no on e save th ee Solom o n Grundy , ,

‘

A nd those lar ded fowl ! that look like things Of snow and n ot
of fles h even my wi fe praised them and said Grun dy , , ,
’

’
said she Solomon m y spou se said she you have outdone
, , ,

yourself that w as praise But what signifies praise to me .

’ ’ ’

n ow ?
’
My master wo n t eat my mistress wo n t eat
’ ’
Barbara she wo n t eat
,
I O ffered her a pigeon pie ; she -

’
sai d N O I thank ye Solomon and passed away That I
,
‘
, , , .

U
9 90
. TH E B UCCANE E R .

should ever live to see any one pass away from a pi geon pie of -

’
m y m aking ! Sir Willmott Burrell he wo n t eat but calls ,
’

,
”

’
for wine and strong waters i n his dressing room it s a queer -

’
bridal Ah there s on e of the Lady C romwell s women ’

perhaps she will eat ; it i s heart breaking to think that su ch -

food as this and be cast his eye over a huge ass emblage of
sundries that ,

Co ldl y h
fur nis d
’
forth th e marr i ag e tabl es

such food as thi s should be c on sh m e d by vul gar brutes w h o ,

would better relish a baron o f bee f and a measure of double

dub than a trussed turkey and a fl agon of
,

Solomon however succeeded in prevaili ng u pon Mistress

, ,

Maud to enter and then h ad but little di fficul ty in forcing

,

upon her some o f the confections though all his e ffor ts could ,

not extort a compliment to his culinary accomplishments .

They are wonderful conside ring they are country made

, ,

she said after discussing a third tartlet

,
but there must be f‘

great allowance for your want o f skill and you ought to e s

’

teem yourself fortunate ( I ll take another j elly ) that there is to

’
be n o banquet ; for though it is evil to give one s mind to
fl esh l y tastes o r creature comforts these things would hardly
be deemed fi t for a second table wedding at W hitehall !
-

Solomon w as deeply mortified He had great veneration for .

court but he had greater for his o w n talent and he loved not
, ,

to hear it called in question : he therefore scanned the w aiting

m aid after his peculiar mode and then drawing himself up , ,

stroked his chin and replie d That great men had sat at h is
, ,
’
master s table and had he was well assured praised his skill
, , ,

i n words which could not be repeate d — tha t Lady Frances

herself had condescended to a sk his method o f blanching
almonds and lauded his white chicken soup and that he
,

should not dread being commanded to serve a banquet u nto the

”
Lord Protector himself .

Mistress Maud sneered an d examined a third j elly which

, ,

s he was reluctantly compelled to quit by a summons from her

iady
What robe would your ladyship desire she i nquired of
Lady Frances w hose eyes were red with weeping and who
, ,

appeared astonishingly careless upon a point that usually oc en

pied much of her attention Would your ladyship like the
.
 29 2 TH E B UCC A N E E R .

’
I can t help m y tears dear lady w h en 1 th in k how , ,

she weeps O h i t is a mournful thing to see an o ak bend

.
,

like a willow or a stately rose low as a little wild flower !

,

Something h as cru shed her hea rt and I cannot hel p her , .

I would lay down my life to make her happy i f I kne w ,

but how ! The very dogs hang their tails and steal across ,

the ro oms they used to gambol in ! Ah m adam she h as , ,

wealth and rank and all that a poor girl would cal l great
, ,

glory Yet her s tep is like the step o f an aged woman and
.
,

h e r he a d is bent though not with the weigh t o f years

,
I .

think of a li ttle poem I knew w hen I w as a child I be lieve I .

heard it before I could speak the words thereof yet it is so ,

per fect on my mind Did you ever hear i t madam ? i t is

.
,

called The Lady of C as tile .

Never but I should like to hear it Barbara while you , ,

hook on the diamonds those careless minxes sca ttered so heed

lessly IVhat tune is it to
.

I know not the tune ma dam nor could I sing i t now if,

I did I often wonder how the birds can sing when they lose
.

their mates ; though their notes are n o t as at other times , ,

’
cheery an d no wonder I t s very cruel to kill poor innocent
.

birds .

Let me hear the ballad Barbara , .

I fear me i t has gone ou t of my head ; bu t madam i t

, , ,

began thus something after a p opish fashion ; but no harm

, ,

no great harm i n it
Th e l dy w as of n obl e b i rth
a ,
A n d fa i r es t in Cas ti l e ,

A nd m n y s u i tors c a m e to h e r
a

”
A nd many su i tors came to her repeated Barbara I , .

’
forget the last line but it ended with feel ,
I am sorry .
,

madam that I have lo s t the words quite lost the m to d ay

, , ,

tho u gh I could ha v e said them al l yesterday But the lady .

had many sweethearts as my lady had and like my lady sent

, ,

the m all away ; only she w as o v e r nice A nd she made u p .

her mind at las t to marry on e whose name w a s ill though t Of ,

and her wedding day was fi xed and the nigh t before as she .
,

was sleeping who should visit her ( i t is here comes the

,

Pope ry ) but the Virgin ? A nd the Virgin gave her her hand ,

and led her to a beautiful grove ; an d this grove was filled

with the most beautiful bir ds in the world ; an d the Virgin
 TH E B UCCANE E R . 29 3

said to her take any o ne Of these birds that you choose and
, ,

keep i t as your o w n ; and you may wal k to the end of th e

grove and take any on e y ou mee t ; but you must choose i t
before you c ome b ac k and n o t come back without o n e you
,

must not have the power to take on e after you begin to re turn .

A nd the bird you take will be lord Of yo u r es tates and of ,

yourself and the eyes o f all C astile will be upon him A nd

, .

the lady was very beauti ful as beautiful as m y lady only not , ,
‘

good or well taught like her I f she had been she would n o t
-
.
,

have believed i n th e Virgin SO the lady walked on and on .

,

and the sweet birds were singing to her and courting her and , ,

striving to win her favour all the way They were such birds .

as I never heard Of but in that song — with diamond eyes ,

and ruby wings and feet Of pearl ; but she found some fault
,

with every o n e she met and fan cied she mig h t fi n d a bett er
,

before her walk was done A nd beh old ! at last sh e got to .

,

the end Of the grove without havin g made any choice ; and
what think you my lady sat there ? why a black vult ure a
, , ,

wicked deceitful cruel bir d A nd she was forced to take him

, , . .

She had passed by many good and b eautiful and their sweet ,

songs still sounded in her ears yet she was forced to take that
hideous and cruel bird O nly think my lady h o w h orrid !
.
, ,

The poor lady o f C astile awok e and began thinking what the ,

drea m could mean and after praying awhile she re m embered ,

h ow much sh e wished i n her sleep that she had taken th e first

bird she saw A nd i t brought back to her mind the com
.

panion of her youth who had loved her long and she l ikened
, ,

this gallant gentlema n to the swee t bird Of her dream So .

sh e put away h im whose name was ill thought of and wedded

,

the knight w h o had loved her lon g A nd so the song fi n ish es

'

'

wit h
H a ppy l ady o f Cas ti l e !

A nd a good ending too sai d Lady Frances I wish ou r ,

”
wedding was l ikely to ter m inate so favourably .

A men to that prayer said Barbara earnestly and , ,

added shuddering as she spoke

,
I t is very odd madam but , , ,

on e Of your l adies who w as arraying the communion table

,
-

scared away a great toad whose bloated si des were leaning on

,

the s tep and she says on the very spot where Sir Willmott
, , ,

Burrell must k neel to nigh t — H ush ! that was his door

-
.

U 3
29 4 TH E B UCCANEE R .

which shut at th e end of th e corridor the very sound of h is

foot fall makes me shu dder — the Lord preserve us ! I t is
-

astonishing my lady the wisdom o f some dumb an imals

, ,

C risp can t bear the sight Of h im but C risp i s very know

’

l e dge able
There wi l l be another miserable m atch thought Lady ,

Frances that pretty modest cr eatu re wi ll sacrifice herself to

that deformed piece Of nature s workmanship even his nast y
’

cur long backed and bandy shares her favour : I will beg her
,
-
,

of C o nstantia take her to court and get her a proper hus

, ,

ban d — C risp is an ill favoured puppy Barbara she said-

”
, ,

aloud and the sooner you get rid Of him the better Y ou
, .

must come to court with me and be on e of my bower girls for ,

-

a season it will polish you and cure your Sh e pe y prej udices

, .

I shall ask Mistress C ecil to let you come .

Barbara tho u ght first Of Robin then o f her father ; and ,

was about to speak Of the latter when sh e remembered her ,

promise of secr e cy .

Thank your ladyship a poor girl like me had be tter ,

remain where — where she is likely to bide A fi e l d mouse .

-

cannot climb a tree like a gay squirrel m y lady though th e , ,

poor thing is as happy on the earth as the fine squirrel among

the branches and mayhap a deal safer : and as to C risp
, , ,

be auty is deceitful but honesty is a thing to lean upon

’ ”
the creature s heart is o n e great lump Of faithfulness .

”
You must get a courtly husband Barbara , .

Your ladyship j ests and so would a courtly husband at ,

on e like me Mayhap I may never live to marry ; but if I

.

did I should not like m y husband to be ashamed of me

, .

The j ewels are all on m y lady ,

Should y ou not like to be as my maidens are ?

Thank y ou madam no : for they have too li ttle to do and
, , ,

that begets sorro w Were m y lady happy and — and

.
,

But that is m y lady s ca ll ’

Sh all I send your women . ,

madam
I have often thought and ofte n said murmured Lady ,

Frances as Barbara meekly cl osed the door

, that nothing is ,

so perplexing to the worldl y as straight forward honesty an d -

truth I t is not to be intimidated nor bribed nor flattered

.
, , ,

nor destr oyed n o t destroyed e v en by death I would give .

half my dowry alas do I talk of dowry ? great as my

 296
'

TH E B U c c a rzn n m

to Sir W ill m ott who too k i t with that air Of easy poli ten es s
,

a nd cordiality of manner he could so well assume

’

”
The hour is nearly arrived said the ol d man and y ou
, ,

will become the husband Of my only child Treat her kindly .

Oh as y ou ever hope to have children of your o w n

, ,
.

treat her kindly : be to her what I ought to have been

a protector ! Sir W ill mott I cannot live very l ong say only
,

that you will treat her kindly Whatever I have shall be .

yours y ou will be kind wil l you not ? A nd he looked at

,

Sir Willmott with an air of such perfect childishness that the ,

knight imagined his mind had given way .

Si t down my good sir compose y ou relf y ou are much

,
-

”
agi tated I pray y ou be composed .

Broad lands are a great temptation conti nued Sir Robert , ,

with the sa me appearance of wavering intellect Broad lands

and gold are great temptations and yet they do not m ake o n e ,

happy Stoop your head

. closer closer there now

I will tell y ou a secret but you must not tell i t to C onstantia

, ,

because i t would give her pain I have never been happy

since I possessed the m ! Stop I will tell you all from begin , ,

ning to end My brother Sir Herbert

. I was not Sir Ro bert
,

then my b rother I say ,

So m e other ti m e my dear sir interrupted B u rrell whose

, , ,

ap prehension w as confirmed ; you must cheer up and not ,

think of these matters : you must take some wine He filled .

a goblet from a silver fl agon that s tood with refreshments on

the table ; but the baronet s hand was so unsteady that Sir
’

IVill m ott was obliged to hold the cup to his lips N ow .

,

m y dear sir collect your though ts ; you know all things are
,

safe and secret : there is no possibility Of your ever being

”
otherwise than beloved and re spected .

”
Not by m y chil d said the unhappy man two or three
,

ti mes twisting his hands convu lsively

, N o t by m y child ,

my pride my C onstantia
, Her kiss is as cold as ice upon my
bro w and I thought perhaps twas but a dream fo r I have ’

been sleeping a little I thought she wiped her lips a fter she
kissed me Do you think she would destroy the taste Of her
’
.

father s kiss ?
“
Most certainly not : she loves you as well and as dear ly
”
as ever .

I can not bel ieve it Sir Willmott I cannot believe i t 3

, ,
 TH E B UCCAN E E R . 29 7
’ ’
besides there s no safety for m e till Hugh Dalton s pardon is
,

granted .

“ Damn him ”
! growled Burrell and the curse grated ,

through his closed teeth Damn him deeply doubly ever , , ,

lastin gl y
A y so he w ill be damned
,
replied Sir Robert in a calm , , ,

q uiet tone and we,

shall all be dam ned except C onst a ntia ,
”
but he must be pardoned on earth I m ean for all that .

Burrell looked daggers at Sir Robert C ecil but he heeded ,

them n o t s aw them n ot Sir W illm o tt s first suspicion w as

’
.
,

right — the inj ured were avenged ! The u nhappy man r e

tain e d his memory though his words and ac tions were no
,

longer under the control of reason his conscience li ved ou

”
his intellect had expired I t is even so though t Sir Will
.
,

mott the next moment : and n ow C onstantia despite your , ,

scorn your hatred your contempt I do pity you

, , ,
.

Burrell understood not how superior was C onstance in ever y

respect either to his pity or his praise
,
.

E xactly as th e clock struck six the doors at the botto m Of ,

the room were thrown open and Lady Frances C romwell en ,

te re d with her friend ; Barbara and the waiting maidens of -

’
Lady Frances followed ; but nothing could exceed Burrell s
displeasure and m or tifi ca tion when h e perceived that his bride ,

was habi ted in the deepest mourning Her hair braided fro m .
,

her brow hung in long and luxuriant tresses down her back
, ,

and were only confined by a fillet of j et Upon her head w as .

a veil of black gauze that fell over her entire figure and her
,

dress was of black Lucca silk hemmed and bordered with ,

crape She advanced s teadily to her father wi thout noticing

.
,

her bridegroom and throwing up her veil said in a l ow

, , , ,

vo rce
,

Father I am ready , .

Burrell w h o feared that even in the very brief space which

,

now remained Sir Robert would betray the weakness of h is

,

mind stepped forward and would have taken her hand ;

, ,

but she put him from her with a single gesture, saying , ,

N ot yet sir I am sti ll a ll my father s

’

, , Father I am .
,
”
ready .

I t was pitiable to see the vacant eye which Sir Robert fixed
upon her pale fine face and most painful to O bserve the look
, ,

of anxious inq u iry with which she regarded him .

29 8 ,
TH E B UCC A N E E R .

Dear father she exclaimed at length sinking on her

, ,

dear father speak to me , .

e gesture and the voice recalled him for a little to h im

sel f He kissed her cheek a ffectionately and rising with
.
, ,

much Of the dignity of former years pressed her to his ,

bosom .

“
Forgive me child — m y Lady Frances I crave your
, ,

pardon I am myself again I w as a trifle indisposed but i t ,

is over Fill m e some wine he commanded to the attend

.
,

ants who gathered in the doorway

, Yes u
p full
more full ; I drink he contin u ed with a gaiety Of man ,

ner suiting il l with his grey hairs and pallid face I dr ink
to the happiness and prosperity o f my daughter and her bride
’

groom He q u afle d to the bottom Of the cup then flun g i t ,

from h i m .

N ow go we to the bridal he said leading C onstantia for , ,

ward while Sir Willmott conducted Lady Frances who hardly

, ,

con descended to touch the hand he presented to h e r A s they .

passed an open court leading to the little chapel Sir Robert

, ,

stopped abruptly and addressing his daughter said

, , ,

But I have not blessed you yet ; you would not like to
”
die wi thout m y blessing .

”
Die m y father ! repeated C onstance
,
.

”
I pray your pardon child he replied in a half mutte r
, , ,

ing half speaking voi ce

, I was thinking of your mother
but now I qui te remember me this is a bridal and he hurried , ,

her forward to the altar where the clergyman stood ready to

recei v e them .

“
Sir Willmott B urrell said C onstantia to the knight as
, ,
“
he placed h imself at her side my father is ill and I cannot , ,

think upon what his malady may be wi th any thing like calm
ness if what I dre ad is true you will not force me from ,

him .

Let the ceremony proceed and villain as I know you , ,

think m e I wi l l not Oppose any plan you may form for him
, ,
’
was B u rrell s reply Lady Frances stood close beside her friend
.

and Barbara i n h e r white robes and simple beauty headed

, ,

the group o f servants who crowded round the steps .

The clergyman commenced the service according to the form

Of the E stablished C hurch and concluded the Opening addre ss ,

without any interruption He then proce ed ed to the s olemn

.
 M
TH E B UCCANEE R . 3 01

VO U L E TH E TH R I D .

C H A PT E R I .

B h ld !
e o
W h a t bl es s i n gs pr oph e s e o reto ,
a n c ne n t i f ld
B e sto w d o n h e r m e at
’
'

d h
Sh e a s t a w a. p y
So s w e e t ly f
rom th e w o r , as I f h e r c ald l y
L d
ai o ne ly d
o w n e to s u m e r l b
l h e n forbear e .
‘

T o l e t on h e r bl
est as es a h f ll
a te a r e .

B u t, if h h
t a r t t oo m u c w o m a n , s oft
’
w e e pc ly
L g i f di
est r e b Sl
s t u r e th e i e n c e o f h e r s l e e pe . HA R I NGTO N .

BA RB A R A the young th e beautiful the innocen t Barbara

, , , ,

fell as the bullet struck her upon the arm of th e imbecile Sir
, ,

Robe r t C ecil I t is impossible adequately to describe the scene

.

that followe d C onstantia c au ght the maiden from her father

.
,

who shrank at the sigh t Of blood and dre w himsel f gra dually ,

away like a terrified child fro m a frightful Obj ect while his
, ,

daughter kneeling supported the stricken g irl upon her

, ,

bosom A fte r the dee d was done the Jewess stood for a
.
,

m omen t wi th an air Of exultation upon the ledge Of the

oriel windo w and then disappeared ; but Sir Wil lmott who
, ,

s aw that the time was come when if ever his prey was to be , ,

secured ru shed to the Open door with a view to sei ze her as

, ,

she descended and at once rid him self of all danger by h er

,

destr uction A t the instan t his evil purpose was about to be

.

accomplished his course w as arrested as he reached the pos

, ,

tern by a powerful arm which grappled at his throat The

, ,
.

sten torian voi ce of Dalton shouted V illain so loudly that ,

man y who had crowded round the dying Barbara turned in

, ,

alarm to ascertain who spoke .

Hinder me n ot said Sir Willmott gasping for breath

, , ,

but help me to secure th e murderer the girl i s slain !

G od of Heaven ! what girl ? — Who was it fired ?
”
exclaimed the Skipper What means this ? he continue d
.
,

relaxing h is grasp an d advancing up the chancel with a

,

beating heart and a rapid step Burrell took advantage Of the .

momentar y reprieve and was hastily proceeding round to th e

,
3 02 TH E B UCCAN E ER .

windo w when the tramp of many horses came upon his ear
, .

The steel caps and polished blades Of a detachmen t Of C rom

well s own Ironsides glittered amid the ruins and trees that
’

surrounded the chap el and his progress was again sta yed by
,

no other than C olonel John Jones .

”
Sir Willmott Burrell said the Puritan soldier in a slo w , ,

and deliberate tone his Highness commands your immediate

,

presence at the house of Hampton profanely denominate d ,

’
Hampton C our t ; and I have his Highness s commands al so to
prevent the taking place of any union be tween you and Mis
”
tress C onstantia Ce cil .

”
I t has taken pla ce interrupted Burrell turning pale , , ,

and trembling .

I t has n ot taken place interrupted in her turn Lady ,

Frances whose habitual and active kindness had promp ted her
,

to seek assistance for Barbara s o that she encoun tered the ,

troop under the command o f her step uncle I say i t has -

not taken place — half a ceremony is no marriage But have .

you any with you skilled in surgery ? for here h as been a most
foul murder : come with me into the chapel and behold ! ,

Lady Frances returned fo llowed by C olonel Jones Sir Will , ,

m ott as a prisoner and the greater number Of the soldiery

, .

C onstantia C ecil still kneeling supported Barbara whose

, , ,

li fe was ebbing fast as the blood trickled from a small wound

, ,

where the ball had entered a l ittle above her right shoulder .

Her eyes gentle and expressive as ever were fixed upon her
, ,

father who stood sp eechless and powerless by her side The

,
.

wome n gathered weeping around The good clergym an ap

, ,
.

pr oach e d to O ffer spiritu al consolation to the departing girl .

Hugh Dalton had heard the s tory of the fatal act repeated by ‘

at least a dozen persons who were ignorant that they spoke ,

’
in the presence Of the poor maiden s parent ; but he h eeded
not their words ; he did not even ask how or by whom the
dreadful deed was done E nough to h i m was the certa inty .

that his daughter was dying dying before h im that s h e to , ,

w hom his heart had clu n g through evil report and good report ,

i n sorrow and in sin but always wi th confidence and h Ope as

, ,

the star that would at length guide him in to a haven Of peace

and j oy which h ad been rapidly growing out of repen tance ;
,

that she h is only his beloved his most excellent and most
, , , ,

unspotted child would within an hour be come as the clay on

which he trod — that her mild che erful and patien t spiri t
, , ,

, , ,
 3 04 TH E B UCCA NEER .

in thus s tanding face to face with a troop of the hardiest so l

diers o f the C ommonwealth Turning eagerly towards their .

O fficer he exclaime d
, ,

Ha ! i t is known then the papers were receive d-

.

”
Traitor ! double traitor ! I have ye now ! shouted Bur
rell pre senting his pistol at the head Of the Bucca n eer I n
, .

s tan tl
y Barbara as with a last e f
,
fort sprang from the arms of ,

the L ady C ecil and thre w herself on her father s bosom Th e

,
’
.

e ffort was not needed for the weapon w as snatche d from the
,
’
villain s hand He had now to encounter the reproof o f
.

C olonel Jones .

Sir Willmott I though t I could have taken your word

, ,
”
that y ou had no arm s except your sword I w as mistaken . .

That fellow is the famous Buccaneer Hugh Dalton upon , ,

whose head a price i s set A rrest him C olonel Jones ! ex .

,

claimed Burrell skilfully turning the atten tion from himself

,

to the Skipper who s tood embracing the li feless form o f his

,

daughter — gazing upon eyes that were n o w closed and upon ,

’

lips parted no longer by the soft breath of as swee t a maiden

as ever w as born of woman .

A re you the Malignant Of whom he speaks ? inquired the

stern colonel .

”
He is the unhappy father of that murdered girl in ter ,

posed C onstantia .

’
Whoever refuses to seize h im deserves a traitor s death ,

rei terated Sir Willmott .

The troope rs s tood with their hands on their swords await ,

.

’
ing their Ofli cer s commands .

The Buccaneer turned fiercely round still pressing his child ,

to his bosom with o n e arm and holding a pistol wi thin the ,

other han d .

I am he said in a bold and fearless but not an arrogant

, ,

tone, I am he who m that accursed vil lain names But ye .

h ad better not rouse a desperate man Dare not to touch me .

at your peril stay m y course C olonel Jones tell the Protector .

,

Of E ngland that Hugh Dalton craves no pardon now This

, .
,

this was my h Ope — m y pride ; for her I would have been

honest and well thought of
, Behold ! she sti ffens on m y
arm She is nothing now but clay ! Yet by the God that
.
,

made her ! n o churlish earth shall sully this fai r form She .

was as pure as the blue sea that cradled her first months of
 TH E B UCC A NEE R . 3 05

in fan cy ; and m ark ye when the rays of the young sun rest
, ,
’
upon the ocean at the morning w atch by m y own ship s side
,
-
, ,

i n the bosom Of the cal m waters shall she find a grave I ,

.

will n o more trouble E ngland no more — no more Gold

’
m ay come dancing on the waves even to my vessel s prow I , ,

will n o t touch i t C romwell may take m e if he will but n o t

.
,

till I perform for m y good and gentle child the only rite that
”
ever she demanded from me .

E ven as the tiger mother passes through an I ndian crowd

-

bearing the cherished o ffspring Of her fierce but a ffectionate

n ature which some stray arrow h as destroyed — terrible i n
,

her anguish and awful in her despair her foes appalled at

her su fferings and the bravery of her spirit though still pan ting ,

for her des truction their arrows are on th e string yet the
untaught but secret and powerful respect for the great source
,

Of ou r good as well as Of our evil passions N ature works

within them and she p asses on unmolested to her lair
, , ,

even so did Dalton pas s along c arrying his daughter as she , ,

were a sleeping infant through the armed warriors who made , ,

way as if unconscious of what they di d

, some who were ,

themsel v es fathers pressed their m aile d fingers on their eyes

, ,

while others touched their helmets and raised them a li ttle ,

from their brows .

C olonel Jones exclaimed the enrage d Burrell

, you will ,

have to answer for this to a high power The Protector would .

g ive its weight in gold fo r the head Of that man

; and the
”
weight of that agai n for a knowledge of his haunts .

” ’
Sir Willmott w as the sol dier s reply who now that
, , ,

Dalton was really gone began to fear he had done wrong in ,

permitting his escape an d therefore resolved to brave i t ,

haughtily I can answer for m y own actions Methinks you

, .

”
are cold and hot as best serves your purpose ! Then turning
abruptly from him he added W e will but intrude upon the
, ,
”
hospitality of this m ourning bride glancing at C onstantia s ,
’

“
dress and smiling grimly
,
un til some tidings be Obtained o f ,

the person who has perpetrated this horrid murder ; and having
refreshed ou r horses return forth with for his Highness is im ;
,

patient of delay and tis good fifty miles to London Ou r

’

, .

orders were Sir Willmott that you hold no communion with

, ,

any ; so that if you have aug h t to say to Mistress C ec il it

, ,

must be said at once .

3 06 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

I can only o ffer my protestations against this tyrann ical

a sir I speak bol dly and repeat i t —this tyranni cal
,y , ,

mandate and assure the fai r da m e that I consider her m y

”
lawful wife .

C onstantia made no reply C olonel Jones then gave the .

Lady Fran ces a slip o f paper from the Protector which merely ,

stated that he thought she ought to remain with her friend ,

u ntil the myste rious rumour was ei ther cleared up or confirmed .

Lady Frances right j oyfully assen ted ; and C onstantia over ,

powered by a mul titude o f con tendi ng feelings led the way ,

w ith her father who seemed as passive and as uninterested i n

,

the even ts of that most even tful hour as if he were a child of ,

a t w elvemonth Old The soldiers who had been sent to recon

.

n oitr e soon returned for nigh t was closing u pon them and
, ,

they had searched the ruins o f M inster and galloped over the ,

w ild hills Of Sh e pe y without being able to trace the m isgu ided

,

Jewess C olonel Jones could the refore do nothing more than

.
, ,

advise Sir Michael Livesey ( the sheri ff who res ided as we , ,

have s tated at Little Sh u rl an d) Of the circum stance that had

,
’

occurred and send Off to King s Ferry Sheerness Queen

, , ,

borough an d all the lit tle hamle ts along the coast information
, ,

o f the melancholy even t with or ders to prevent any stranger , ,

m ale o r fe m ale from q uitting the isl and until his Highness s
’

, ,

future pl easure w as known .

The m urder of Lady C ecil s favouri te w as calcul ated to ex

cite strong feelings among all cl asses ; for the poor had long
considered the resi dence of so good a family on their island as
a bless ing from Heaven more particularly as the former pos ,
’
s e ssor Sir Herbert
, Sir Robert s elder brother only lived at
, ,

C ecil Place occasionally bei n g of too gay too cav alier a tem
, ,

p am e n t to h ide long in so solitary a dwelling He had been

’

er , .

w armly at tach ed to the house o f Stuar t and while his

younger brother sought and made friends of the Parl iam e n ta
,

rian faction, he remained steady in h is loyalty and firm in his ,

attachment to the unfort unate and u n popu lar Ch arl e s U pon

‘

this topic we may hereafter treat : at present we have to do ,

with the living not the dead , .

w e cannot now intr ude upon the privacy Of either Lady

Fran ces or C onstan tia ; we must c onten t ourselves wi th
s imply stating that C olo n el Jones took his departure leaving
‘

, ,
’
at Lady Frances e request a gu ard of six soldi ers at C ecil ,
p
d 08 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

The n again they rever ted to Barbara and the women crept
‘

more closely together like a flock o f frightened sheep when

, ,

on e older than the others a ffirmed that no true maid could ever
’
rest in the ocean s bed unless a Bible were slung about her
,

n eck ; and as Dalton o f course had no Bible their beloved

'

, , ,

Barbara coul d have no rest but must wander to all eternity on ,

‘

the foam o f the whi te waves or among the coral rocks that ,
-

pave the southern seas or sigh in the shrouds o f a doomed

,

ship But again some other said as sh e w as so p ure a

.
, ,

C hristi an perhaps that would save her from such a fate an d

,

o n e of the soldiers who sat wi th them reproved their folly and ,

lectured and pray e d for their e difi cation with much zeal and
, ,

godliness ; and when he had concluded the thought came ,

upon them that the Reverend Jonas Fle e tw ord h ad n ot been

there since the earliest mo rning when somebody declared he ,

was seen talking with Sir IVil l m ott Burrell near the G ull s ’

N est and fear for the preacher came over them all — w h y
, ,

they could not tell ,

C H A PT E R I I .

h
y
P o es ! t o u s w ee t s t c o n te n t
’

h v
T at e e r H e a e n to m o rta s
’
l lent ,

T h u gh t h y as a tr i fl e l v e th ee
o e ea
W h ose d ll th ou gh ts ca n n t c o n c e ive th e e ;
u o
T h o u gh t h u be to th e m a sc o rn
o
T h t to n u gh t bu t e a rt h a re bo rn
a o

L e t m y l 1fe o l on g r be n e
T h an I a m i n l o ve w t h th ee i GE OR GE W i r ns a
. .

T H E R E are two things that to a marvel lous degree bring people

under subjection mor al and corporeal fear The most dis .

sol u te are held in restr ai nt by the influence Of moral worth ,

and there are few who would engage in a quarrel if they were ,

certain that defeat or death would be the con sequence C rom .

well obtained and we may add m aintained his ascendency

, ,

over the people of E ngland by his earnest and continual ly ,

directed e fforts towards these two important ends His court .

w as a rare exampl e o f irreproach able conduct fr om which all ,

debauchery and immorality were banished ; whi le s uch w as

 TH E B U CCA N E E R . 3 09

h is deep and intimate though mysterious acquaintan ce with

, ,

every occurrence throughout the C ommonwealth i ts subj ects ,

had the certainty of knowing that sooner or later whatever , ,

crimes they committed woul d Of a surety reach the ear Of the

Protector H is natural abilities must always have been of the
.

highest order though in the early part of his career he dis

,

covered none Of those ex traordinary talents that afterwards

gained h im so much applause and worked s o upon the affe c ,

tions o f the hearers and s tanders by His mind may be com .

pared to on e of those valuabl e manuscrip ts that had long been

r olled up and kep t hidden from vulgar eyes but which exhibits ,

some new proof Of wisdom at each unfolding I t has been .

well said by a philosopher whose equal the world has not ,

known since his day that a place sh ow e th the man

,
Of a .

certainty C romwell had no sooner possessed the opportuni ty s o

to do than he showed to the whole w orld that he was destined
,

to govern . Some men achieve greatness some men are bo rn ,

to greatness and some have greatness thrust u pon them

,
.

Wi th C romwel l greatness was achieved He was the archi

, .

te e t o f h is o w n fortunes owing li ttle to what is called

, , ,

chance , less to patronage and still less to crime if we ex

, ,

cept the on e sad b lot upon the page Of his own history as ,

connected with that of his coun try There appears in his ch a .

r a c te r but a small portion o f that which is evil blended with ,

much that is undoubtedly good Although his public speeches .

were for the most part ambiguous —leaving others to pi ck

, ,

ou t his meaning o r more frequently still having no meaning ,

to pick out being words words words strung Of moul dy

, ,

sentences scriptural phrases foolish ex clamations and such

, , ,

like ; yet when necessary he showed that he could su fficiently

, ,

comman d his style delivering himself with so much energy

, ,

pith propriety and strength o f expression that i t was co m

, , ,

mouly said of him un der such circ umstances

,
every word he ,
”
spoke was a thing But the strongest indication pf his vast
.

abilities was the extraordinary tact with which he entered into

, ,

dissected and sc rutinised the nature of human kind N 0 m an

,
.

ever dived into the manners and minds of those around h im

with greater penetration or more rapidly discov ered their
,

n atural talents and tempers If he chanced to hear of a perso n

.

fi t for his purpose whether as a minister a soldier an artisan

, , , ,

a preacher, or a spy no matte r how previ ously Obscure he

x 3
 10 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

s ent for h im forthwi th and employed h im in the way in which

,

he could be made most useful and answer best the purpose of ,

his employer Upon thi s most admirable system ( a system in

.

which u nhappily he has had but few imitato r s among m odern

, ,

s tatesmen ) depended in a great degree his success His de

,
.

v o tion has been sneered at ; but i t has never been proved to

have been insincere With how much more show of j ustice

.

may we c onsider i t to have been founded upon a solid and u p

right basis when we recollect that his whol e outward depor t
,

ment spoke its truth Those who decry him as a fanatic

.

ought to bethink themselves that r eligion was th e ch iva lr y of

th e ag e in w h ich h e lived Had C romwell been born a few
.

centu ries earlier he would have headed the C rusades with as

, ,

much bravery and far better res ul ts than o u r noble hearted

,
-

,
”
but wrong headed -
C oe ur de Lion I t was no great com .

li m e n t that was p assed on him by the French minister when

p ,
“ ”
he called the Protector the fi rst capta in Of the age His .

courage and conduct in the field were und oubte dl y admirable

he had a dignity o f soul which the greatest dangers and diffi
c u l tie s rather animate d than discouraged and his discipline and ,

government o f the army in all respects was the wonder of the

, ,

world I t was n o diminution Of this part o f his characte r that

.

he was wary in his conduct and tha t after he was declared , ,

Protector he wore a coat Of mail conc ealed beneath his dress

,
- -
.

Less caution than he made use of in the place he held and , ,

surrounded as he was by secret and open enemies would have ,

deserved the name of negligence A s to his p olitical sincerity .

,

which many think had nothing to do wi th his religious Opinions ,

he was to the full as honest as the first or second C har les

, , .

O f a truth that same sinceri ty it wo u ld ap pear is no kingly

, , ,

virtue C romwell loved j ustice as he lo ved his own life and ,

whe rever he w as compelled to be arbitrary it was only where ,

his autho rity was controverted which as things then were i t , , ,

w as n o t only right to establish for h is own sake but for the ,

peace and security of the country over whose proud destinies

”
he had been called to govern The dignity Of the crown .
,

to quote his o w n words was u pon the account of the nation

, ,

of which the king was only th e represen tative head and there ,

fore th e n ation being stil l the same he would have the same
, ,

respe ct paid to his m inisters as if he had been a king E ng .

land ought to write the name Of C romwell in letters Of gold ,

3 12 TH E B HOOA N E E R .

Wisdom to watch ourselves and then Ou r rulers so that we , ,

neither do nor su ffer wrong j ustice to the memory of t h e

mighty dead whether born to thrones or foo tstools — mer cy,
,

inasmuch as we shall deeply need it from our suc cessors .

We mus t not longer trifle wi th or mingle among forbid de n

themes but turn to that which lightens many a heart and
, ,

creates o f its own power a magic world of pure and perfect

enj oy ment .

Many there were before and during those troublous ti mes

, ,

who heedless of the turmoils that were taking place around

,

them sang as birds will sometim es sing during the pauses of

, , ,

a thunder storm We wo uld fain con over the names of a few

-
.

Of those who li ve wi th the memories of peace and hope and , ,

love and j oy — as so many happy contrasts to the wars and

,

intrigue s that sin an d its numberless and terribl e attendan ts

, , ,

have brought upon this cheerful and beauti ful and abundantl y , ,

gifted eart h .

A blessing on sweet Poesy whether she come to us mounted

o n the gallant war horse trumpet tongued awakening our-

,
-

soul s and senses unto glory hymning wit h Dryden some bold ,

battle strain that makes us crow Of victories past present and

-
, ,

to come — Or wi th a scholar s trim and tasselled cap a flow

’

,
’
ing gown Of raven hue and many tales of C haucer s quaint, ,

but pleasing good reading under some old tree close by a

-

quiet brook where minnows sport and dart wi th silver flight

,

beneath the broad leaved lilies whose white and yellow chalices
-

are spread full to the cheerful heavens wherein the sun rides ,

l ike a monarch in his az u re kingdom or better still , ,

mounted ou a green dragon with glari n g eyes and forky tongue

-

l ooking fo r encoun te r with some C hristian knight who full , ,

”
Of sad feare and gh as tl e y dre ariment would nathless risk life , ,

honou r all — for his faire la di e love Beloved Spenser ! age

, .

withers not thy be au ty .

O r Poesy m ay come in the cool twilight when the garish ,

day is past and the young modest flower s which refuse d their
, ,

perfume to the sun that with his hot and fiery beams sought , , ,

t o command their i ncense n o w welcome back the evening and , ,

become prodigal o f sweetness —within some rusti c temple ,

c lustered with woodbine where the robin or the ti ny wren hath ,

formed a nest of ma tchles s sk ill and neat propriety and trem ,

bles n ot at the approaching foo ts tep while th e soft breath Of ,

 TH E B U COA N E EE : 3 13

h eaven plays those blossoms o f the su m — the p ai nted

w ith
bu tte r flie s — that fold their wings and fain would sleep till
morn ing There let her come, and wi th her bring more blessed
.

children of the olden time,

W h os e n am e s
In F am e s e ternal v ol u m e l 1ve fo r a ye
’
.
”

The gallant handsome Surrey tutored by Love into o ur firs t , ,

if not ou r sweetest sonneteer ; and Michael Drayton w ith his ,

’
apt cres t Mercury s bright c ap blazoned with sunbeams , .

O ld Fletcher floating to w ards h is Purple I sland in the same

, ,

graceful bark that bears his more thought ful i t may be sombre , ,

brother Giles Then garlanded with the rich thistle in all

.
,

its purple glory ; the per fume o f his braes and burns and , ,

heather reeking amid his clustering hair ; his cheerful plaid

, ,
’
and his gay bonnet graced by the heron s plume ; h is voice
,
’
subdued by sorrow but still sweet and free singing of Sion s
, ,

flowers — Drummond of H awthornden welcome from bonn y

”

Scotland herald o f a line of poets who fling their music 011

, ,

the breezy air that floats along in melody

,
.

O ur gentle Lovelace ! thee too I hail — beauty in all thy

lines s o quaint yet grace ful A fopling poet though thou
, .

’
wert dainty and perfume d yet still a poet sweet in a lady s
, , ,

bower where all i s fashioned as befi ts the place an d time a

,

poet indeed ! and w hat i s m ore never wert thou turned

, ,

from thy chosen path o f duty by praise or purse — although

a poet and poor all the days o f thy most checkered life .

Alas ! must we contrast thee with the weathercock Of the

rhyming folk bowing to kings protector lords and all that
, , , ,

could pay golden coin for his poesy ? Many there be

’
among the scribbling tribe who emulate a Wal ler s practice ,

and amble in his ill— chosen path h o w fe w have the redeem

ing gift that was his so largely l
”
A n d thou must not be forgotten O rare Ben Jonson ! ,
“
for whom a single sentence doth suffice A n d him the .
,
”
melancholy C owley ! let him com e too wi th his honeyed ,

wisdom it will be still the sweeter if we think upon his stern

bitterness in prose Let him reprove the muse to w hom he
.

owes his fame ,

T h ou w h o r e w ar de st bu t w t i h po pu l ar breath ,
h
A nd t a t too a te r f d ea th
3 14 TH E B U OOANE EE .

'

let him reprove yet not come without her A h the poet is
,
.

but a sorry politician after all .

Ye cannot do ill if ye pile the verdant tu rf breast high

wi th those Old masters ; tho se mighty monarchs of s weet
song ,

B l i g be w i th th m d te l p i e
es s n s e an e r na ra s ,
Th e poets !
Bring them all all from the ancient of days who have
, , ,
”
gained this praise eternal to those Of our own age who have , ,

M
laboured for and will also obtain it A nd chiefly among such
, .

as have sweetly carolled among u s — still more if ye be young ,

and warm hearted with the a ffections pure and true wi thin you
-

—bring the dear lays of a poet a l ady e poet — a poet who will
h old rank among the best when li fe shall have given place to ,

immortali ty — H o w gladly do I add the tribute of admiration

.

to the gift o f friendship I n her o w n eloquent words may .

we give our thoughts utterance .

h i n ks t is n ot m u c h to d ie
et i

T d e a d l e ve b e h i d
'
o i . n a n
A p i r i t i th e h e rt s f m e n
s n a o ,
A v c e am i d o u ki d
or r n
W h e F m e n d D e th n u n i on
n a a a ,
i s ,

H v e g i v e n a t h ou sa n d uv es for o e
a n .

Ou th o u gh ts w e l i v e ag i n i n t h e m
r , a ,
O r n tu s n ble t p t
u a re
’
o s ar

Ou r l i fe n m an y a m e m o r y
i ,

Ou r h m e n m an y a h e t
o i ar
W he o t a l i p t h t b e a t h e s o u r s tr i n
n n a r a ,

B t c ll s us i to l i fe g a i n
u a n a .
”

But fail n ot above all to bring the one who comprehends

, ,

the whole ; whose name is to be found in every school bo y -

book written i n living letters — words that breathe to who m

,

the hearts o f multitudes were as one most simple instrument ,

which he could tune and tone unto h is pleasure The bir ds .

taught him their language — the forest leaves had life within
their veins and talked with h im Of N ature s mysteries The
,
’
.

broad sea sent its homage by a thousand sprites fresh fro m ,

their coral beds who watched him in his dreams or by those

, ,

sylvan glens wherein he wandered — riding the sal t sea foam -

,

o r the light spray of th e wild ca taract they sung the melodies

,

o f river and Of ocean into h is soul The beings of air that .

, ,

atom like float in the clearest ether bathe in the liquid de w

-

, , ,

o r drink their nectar fro m the honey bells of the wild heather -

bloom called h im their brother and prated o f their tricks i n

, ,
3 16 TH E B U CCANEE R .

’
Observed in the Protector s family with respect an d rever ence .

The morning meeting was over and C romwell in his closet

-
, ,
”
wrestling as he w as wont to term it
,
with sin Silence ,
.

reigned through all the courts — that due and reverend silence
which betokens thoughtfulness and attention to on e Of the ,
’ ”
Almighty s first commands Keep holy the Sab bath day -
,

given when he ordained that man should rest from his labours
in c ommemoration that he himself set an example Of re pose
after calling the broad earth into existence and beauty The .

poet sat but for a little time i n that wide silence ; yet who
would not gi ve a large port ion Of their every day existence to -

have looked on him for those brief mo m ents m oments whic h ,

’
for their full feeling might play the part of years in ou r life s
calendar ? Bles sed holy time ! — when we can look on genius ,

and catc h the gems that fall from i ts lips ! Yet Milton spoke
not — h e only looked and still his looks were heavenward
turned towards that Heaven from whence they caught their
inspiration He heard the sound Of coming footsteps and
.
,

loving quiet on that holy day withdrew to his o w n chamber ,

.

H ow empty now appeared the tape stried ball ! as when some

great eclipse shuts to the golden portals of the sun and steeps ,

the earth in darkness !

’
Soon after Milton s departure the Prote ctor entered i n con , ,

versation with his secre tary T h u rloe ; and although i t was the
,

Sabbath there w as an air of anxiety and eagerness about him

, ,

which made his step more hurried more abrupt than usual ,
.

He suddenly stopped and said , ,

Pray God that C olonel J ones and the troop arrived in

time ! Lady Frances methinks must have known so m e thing
, ,

-
seen something — however now all shall be i nvestigated ,
.

Pray God they arrived in time

He then took from a large pocket book a se t Of tablets and -

having read therein for a few minutes su ddenly turning to ,

T h u rl oe exclaimed
, What ! is this indeed the tenth
,
”
E ven s o re plied the secretary
, .

Then have I b usiness which requires immedia te atten

tion sai d his Highness
, Behold ! I had nearly forgotten
.

both the promise and the appointment ; but spare nor has te
nor trouble ! U nder the arc h way at the left hand side of ,
-

’
Gray s Inn after you pass the house whose corners are bound
,

with white stones the walls being of red brick

, under that -
 TH E B UCC A NEE R . 3 17

arch y ou wi ll se e a m an n ow m ar k m e a m an weari n g a
green cloak the collar being of velvet and to disti n gu ish h im
, ,

the more perfectly you wi ll perceive that h is hat is ban ded by

,

a small blue riban d of the narrowest breadth : h is left hand

,

will be uncovered and placed upon h is breast and on its

, ,

cen tre finger will be a broad hoop ring of jet Be there exactly .

’
as the clock of St Pa ul s strikes three quarters past four an d
.
-

speak thou no w ord n or make sign except to put this bill into
y ,

h is han d which as thou seest is for twenty thousand pounds,

, , ,
”
payable to the bearer at G enoa .

Is i t your Highness s pleasure that I take no receipt ?

’

I t is not needed you can return hither by the evening

m eal.

The secretary bowe d and withdrew and at the same ,

moment the trampling Of many horses sounded in the paved

,

court yard ; an d looking from the w indow Cr om vvell beheld

-

the arri val Of C olonel Jones and his prisoner Sir Will mott , ,

Burrell .

C HA P TE R I I I .

Th e b as e an d gu il ty b ribe s o f gu il ti er me n
S h all b e th ro wn ba c k an d J u s ti c e l oo k a s w h e n
,

Sh e l ov e d t h e e a r th an d fe ar e d n ot to b e so l d
,

F or th at w h i c h w o rk e t h a l l t h i n gs to i t g ol d , . B E N J O N SO N .

TH E course of j ustice must not be delayed although i t be ,

”
the Sabbath said the Protector ; and having hastily as oer
, ,

fained that his O fficer had arrived at C ecil Place i n ti me to

preven t the intended marriage he immediately ordered that ,

C olonel Jones and Sir Willmott B u rrell should be at once

ushered into his presence A t the same time he despatched
. .

on e o f his pages to command the attendance of Manass eh Ben

Israel .

When the knight entered he was received by C romwell ,

with his usual show of courtesy H e a ppear ed however with .

, ,

a downcast look h is hands folded over h is bosom and his

, ,

m ind made up to the approaching contest with on e whom be

well k new to be as profound and accomplished a dissim u lator as
3 18 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

himself when dissimul ation w as the weapon wherewi th he de

,
»

signed to fight .

Sir Willmott briefly apologised for h is travel worn and -

soiled habiliments and di splayed a due porti o n of surpri se and

,

indignation at being torn from his bride in the m idst of th e

m arriage ceremony The J e w trembled with agi ta tion and
.
,
’
woul d have interru p ted the Prote ctor s more slow but not less ,

s u re proceedi ngs had he not been preven ted by a timely check

, ,

from C romwell who bent hi s brow towards h im with a peculiar

,

and warning expression .

I t ca nnot be suppos e d Sir Willmott he ob ser ved in a

, , ,

cal m and even friendly tone

, but that I regret excee dingly
,

being compelled to trouble you in this manner an d at such a ,

time Y o u will be made aware that I have been call ed u po n

.

to per form a double duty first to m y wor thy and excellent ,

friend Manasse h Ben I sr ael wi th the nature o f whose sus,

p ic i on s
( it maketh a C hristian soul shudder to thi nk u pon i t
)
you are already acquainted and next to the l ady who w as ,

about to become your wife Her Highness h as long and truly

.

loved her ; and she is moreover somewhat related ( although

, ,

only after the E piscopalian fashion ) to my most beloved

daughter I was therefore bound to have especial care con
.
, ,
” '

cerning the maiden s bridal .

The Lady Frances C romwell could have informed your

Highness that Mistress C onstan tia was o f h er ow n free w ill , ,
”
a party to the ceremony .

I do not dispute i t N ow our business i s to satisfy th e

.

mind o f ou r friend here as to your alleged conduct towards his

,

only child I t is a noble m atter i n our laws and one that we

.
,

may well be proud o f that by God s blessi ng every man is

, ,
’

c ons idered innocent un til he be proven guilty The Lord forbid .

that I should lay aught of sin u nto your charge — you who ,

have appeared at all times a sure and a safe prop unto our
C ommonwealth Doubtless you s aw the lady
. Zillah .

’
say you not worthy Ra bbi that the maiden s name w as
, ,

Zillah P
E ven so r epl iedz
,
th e Jew wi th a bitter sigh ; she w as ,

named after her mother .

Y ou doubtless saw her and struck by her beauty which

, , , , ,

w e hear was most marvellous paid her more courtesy than w as ,

qui te fitting in a betrothed man But Satan lays many s n ares .

3 20 TH E B UCCANE E R .

bu t the Protector again stayed him seeking to en tangle Bur ,

r ell in a web of his o w n weaving .

You visited the lady frequently ?

N o t very frequently I told Manasseh Ben Israel when
.
,

fi rst he inj ured me by this most unjust suspicion that I did ,

not often s ee her and when I did i t was to as certain if ther e

, ,
”
were any letters she desired to transmit to E ngland .

N ot from the carnal desi re o f paying her homage ?

How coul d your Highness suppose it was ?
You but n o w confessed she might s o have interpreted
your civilities But — know y ou aught of on e Hugh Dalton
.
,

a free trader -

Know know — kno w your Highness I know him

,

for a most keen villain replied the Master o f B u rrell

warmly .

I ndeed But you scorned not to employ him .

Burrell was s ilent for though he had j ourneyed ful l fi fty

,

m iles he had not bee n able to form any plan of defen ce i f

, ,

C romwell should really be aware of the arrangements entered

’
i nto in the cavern of the Gull s Nest C rag Such he now .

dreaded was the fact not onl y from the appearance of a paper
,

the Protector dre w forth but from the fact that the seeming
,

calmness w as fading from his brow All that remained was .

stoutly to deny its being in his hand writing : i t was a case -

that finesse could in no way serve .

Did your H ighness mean that I employed this man ? he

said at last with a clever mingling of as tonishment and inno
,

cen ce in his voi ce and manner .

During a brie f pause that foll owed the eye of C romwell ,

was as it were nailed upon his countenance

, , .

I do mean Sir Willmott Burrell that you scorned not to

, ,
”
employ this man Know you this hand wri ting ?
.
-

Sir W il l m ott s worst fears were confirmed

’
.

”
Permit me he said glancing over the document then ,
, ,

looking from i t with most marvellous cool ness he raised his ,

eyes exclaiming
, Sir there is a plot for my destruction
, ,
’

This hand writing is so well fei gned that I could have sworn
-

i t my own had I not known the total impossibility that it

,

c ould so be

I have seen your hand writing be fore : — write now -

:
 TH E B UCCANE E R . 3 21

Burrell obeyed took the pen in his hand and C rom we l l ,

noted that it trembled much .

Sir Willm ott I believe you i n general place your pap er

,

straight
“
Please your Highness I do ; but I am not cool — n o t
,
'

coll ected enough to act as calmly as at my ow n table The .

knowledge in whose presence I sit might agitate stronger ,

~

nerves than mine Behold sir the villain counterfeited well ;

.
, ,

the W is exact even i n th e small hair stroke

,
the i t s are -
’

crossed at the same distance and the 11s are of the height ,

o f m ine — a most vi l lanous but m ost excellent counterfeit ,

” “
Which ? i nqui red the Protector which m ean ye is the
co u nterfei t the writing or the writer Without there !
C all in Robin H ays Sir Willmott Burrell Sir Willmott
.
,

Burr ell ! the Lord deliver me from such as thou art ! he

continued swelling and chafing himself into anger pri cking
, ,
’
the sides of his intent that so he might overwhelm the das
,

t ard knight .We doubted sir at first but we doubt no , , ,

longer Sir y ou have robbed that ol d man o f his da u ghter

.
,

Y ou ha v e by so doing perjured your ow n soul and br ou ght

, , ,

most foul dishonour upon E ngland I once heard you talk o f .

patriotism a true patriot loves his country too well to commit

a dishonourable action ! Sir I have learn e d th a t you were ,

m arried to the Jewish girl .

Please your Highness inte rrupted Manasseh at length

, ,

I do not wish the marriage : if there be as we suppose a , ,

marriage I w ish i t not kept I only want my wretched and

,
”
deluded child .

Your pardon good Rabbi , I am protector of the rights .

,

and not the fantasies of those who inhabit E ngland and I

, ,

hold no sinecure You may well tur n pale Master of Burrell !

.
,

-
O Lord ! that such should dwell in the tents o f Judah
that such should remain sound in life and limb blessed with ,

ca rnal and fl e sh l y comforts ! that such reptiles should crawl

among n a — be fed by the same food warmed by th e same ,

su n,
as j ust men ! N o no Manasseh if there h a s been a
, ,

m arri age as sure as the Al mighty governs heaven i t shall be

, ,

kept ! N ay Sir Wi llmott Burrell never dare to knit your

, ,

brows Justice sir j ustice to the uttermost is what I desire

. , , ,

in thi s country ! Dost remember the fate o f Don Pantaleon

3 22 TH E B UCCANEE R .

'

8a, the Portugal ambassador s brother a k n ight of Mal ta ,

and a person eminent in many great actions ? Dost remember

hi m I say
,
that he died the death of a murderer according ,
’
to the Scripture he that sheddeth man s blood by man shall
,
‘
,

his blood be shed Jus tice shall be satisfied — N ot that I

.
’

seek to confound you without a hearing But here comes .

on e once a retainer of your o w n who ca n point ou t where the

, ,
"
lad is
ll
.

obin Hays little conscious of the fate that had befall en

,

Barbara ente red with much alacrity for he was glad of any
, ,

thi ng that a fforded him change of place .

t at Robin Hays ! said Burrell

,
Methinks your .

H ighness has assembled most creditable witnesses against me

a J e w an d a thing like that
,

N O sneering sir This person asserts that Zillah Ben

,
.

"
I srael came over in the Fire fl y -
.

"
“ Ah
! with Hugh Dalton said Sir Willmott thrown o ff , ,
’
his guard at what he conceived the Skipper s ut ter faithl essness
then muttering I thought ,
“
N o matter what Methinks th is confirms the document .

”
o u denied observed the Protector whose rage had somewha t
y , ,

subsided N o not with Hugh Dalton as you imagine Sir

.
, , ,

Willmott but with a man o f the name o f J er o m io an Italian

, , .

The description answers i n every res pect the dark eye the ,

black hair the sallo w aspect — all

"
.
,
”
Indeed ! said C olonel Jones who had been present dur ,

ing the examination leaning against on e of the window frames ,

-

and taking much note of all that passe d Indeed ! then .

do th the Lord work marvellously and wonderful is hi s name ,

for i t was to all appearance a foreign woman or rather fi e n d ,

o n e with a pale cheek and jetty locks who interrup ted the ,

bridal at C ecil Place and slew the fair young maid that wai ted
,

on Mistress C ecil

Why told ye not thi s be fore ? inquired C romwell hastily ,

w hile the Rabbi advanced towards the soldier with reat e ager
g
n ess as the Protector spoke But there was another whos e .

blood ran icy cold as the words of C olonel Jon es were uttered .

H e stood for a moment as if suddenly smi tten with some cruel

m alady th e next touch of which would be death ; then h e
,
’
pushed boldly past Sir Willmott an d grasping th e soldier s ,
3 24: TH E B U CCANEE R .

robes and call him E mperor

,
Protector King and thou ,

sands will rej oice loudly if be but wag his tail .

C romwell returned to his investigation and interspe rsed his ,

uestionings wit h much bitterness of remark the more so as

q

M
he feared h is chain o f evidence w as in some degree incomplete ,

although no moral doubt could remai n o n the mind of an y

’
person as to the Maste r of Burrell s guilt C olonel Jones failed .

n ot to show h ow anxious Sir Willmott had been that Zill ah

’
should escape and the Rabbi s agitation bor dered on madness
,

when he contemplated the new crime in to whi ch h is wr e tched

daughter had been led .

Brand m e as y o u please think o f me in your good j udg

ment as you will I am a free man free to go as to come ;
.

and as your Highness cannot detain me on legal groun ds I am ,

at liberty to depart .

Sir Willmott had s carcely finished the sentence when Gra ,

cions e an w e ll having first knocked and received permission

, ,

to enter advanced with a small and peculiar looking packet in

M
-

his hand ; i t was composed o f sli ps o f parchment and the ,

direction w as in prin ted not written letters , .

’
I crave your Highness s pardon ; but a sailor like l ad -

brought this to the great gate and would take n o denial but , ,

that it should be given immediate ly to your Highness saying ,

'

that he found i t hanging in some out o the way place betwixt - -

heaven and earth far o ff in th e I sle of Sh e pe y and seeing that

, ,

it was directed to your Highness he came straightway to de

M
,

li ver it ; he prevailed on the po rters to forward i t up which ,

they did knowing that your Highness wishes noth ing o f the
,
”
sort to be kept back .

While e an w e ll spoke C romwell was undoing or rather

,

te aring open the parcel and the man w as about to withdraw

with all the court observance which the Protector would not
lack .

The m anifestation o f the Lord ! The m anifestation o f

his righteous j udgments ! His ways are clear in Israel and ,

migh ty is his name Look here C olonel Jones my worthy ,

friend Manasseh Ben Israel behold ! Is it n o t wonderful ! ,

Gracious e an w el l see that the bearer of this be well car e d

,

for but safely kept We will spe ak wi th h im our selves

, . Of .

”
a truth it is wonderful !
Such were the words o f C romwell as be scanned wi th a ,
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 3 25

rapid but scrutinising glance each of the several papers con

,

tain e d i n the parcel fi rs t a certificate o f marriage between

-

Sir Willmott Burrell and Zillah Ben Israel as performed by ,

on e Samuel V e r daie a monk residing at the Benedictine Friary

”
in the Faubourg St A ntoine at Paris
. next many letters
, ,

from the said Sir Willmott Burrell to the J ew e s s and lastly ,

a love document given before their marriage w herein he ,

ple dged himself to m arry Zillah and to use his infl u ence with ,

C rom w ell ( who m he facetiously termed vie u w ga r con ) to in ,

duce her father to pardon the undutiful step she was about to
take.

This is also a counter feit Sir Willmott I presume con

, , ,

tinned the Protector pointing to the document

,
nor is this
in your hand writing
-
nor this an d this is not your sea l
and there is no such person as Samuel V e r daie n or such
place as th e Bene dictine Friary or Paris I s u ppose What , ,

ha v e you lost the powe r of speech Shame shame ! shame

and the curse of shame fall upon you ! I t is such m en as y ou
—such crimes as our s that bring disgrace upon E ngland
y ,
.

Sad will be the day for her when she sinks i n the estimation
,

o f the world as a moral nation Behold her a small speck in

.
,

th e immensity o f th e globe yet great is her name among the

kingdoms of the earth ! A Briton carries or ou gh t to carry , ,

ten times the influence of any other man because ou r power is ,

o v er the mind over the respect over the veneration o f man

, ,

kind G o to sir y o u are no E nglishman ! Behold h o w ill

.
, , ,

prosper your evil contrivances ! Sir I say again you h ave , ,

robbed that ol d m an of his daugh ter What say y ou 9 . .

”
I t was to spare that old man s feelings I denied the act ’

said Sir W illmott again rallying yet wanti n g the courage that
, ,
“
forms a r espectable villain ; it w as to spare him But the .

m arriage is n ought a Popish priest a Protestan t gen tleman , ,

and a Je w es s I knew n o t your Highness would sanction such

unholy rites Besides despite all this th e Lady C onstan tia
.
, ,
”
wi ll wed me yet .

By the holy heavens sh e sh all n o t,

exclaimed C romwell ,

f orgetting th e Puritan Protecto r in the soldier the soberness of ,

the age in the energy of the moment then as suddenly adding ,

The Lord forgive m e ! the Lord blot out mine iniquities

”
See what it is to have to do with sinners !
”
Shall not ! repeated Burrell w h o w as as much of the ,

Y 3
3 26 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

bully as the cowar d and sti ll trusted his cause to the know
,
’ '

ledge of C onstanti a s fi lial afle c tion and her readiness to sacri ,

“ ”
fi ce all for her father let the lady decide .

So be it though I hardly think i t there must be so m e

h idden m oti v e Yet no Sir Willmott B u rrell I will not
.
, , ,

even i f s h e w ill I will it otherwise Ah ! think ye to control

,
.

me Didst ever hear of one C ony or of Maynard T wis de n ,

and Wyndham his counsel ? What if I impr i son ye Sir

, ,

Willmott till this J e w ess be found and compel ye to wed her

, ,
”
again even here in E ngland ! What say ye n ow ?
,
“ ”
Would y ou have me wed a murderess ? inquired the
villain in a calm tone
,
.

My child is not that said the heart broken father who ,

-

had bee n examining the papers with overpowering anxiety , .

What good Manasseh inquired C romwell .

That which he did call her replied the Jew , .

There needs no farther parley C olonel Jones we will .

,

ourself accompany ou r w orthy friend to the Isle o f Sh epe y ,

and investigate m ore minutely this most unhappy business .

Y o u wil l take all requisite care o f Sir Willmott Burrell who ,

goes with u s willing or unwilling Perhaps he would like

t o appeal from ou r decree T o night we will set forth so as -

,
’ ’
to arrive at King s ferry be fore to morrow s sunset ; for we
- -

m us t stay an ho u r at Whi tehall and say a word in p assing to ,

”
C olonel L ilburne at E ltham ,
.

H o w does your Highness travel

A s befits o u r state replied the Protector ,
Worthy .

"

M
R abbi be n o t cast down
, all may yet be well .

Your Hi ghness is ever kind but j ustice is inflexibl e My .

child that which he called my child rings in mine ear ,

pierces i t ! 0 Father Abraham I knew not the curse that

fell upon Israel until this day
All may yet be well I say again observed th e Protector
, , ,

know ye not w hat was sai d by the prophet o f ol d the pro

phet of the Lord N ow thus saith the Lord that created
thee 0 Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel fe ar not
, , , ,

May I return and commune with your Highness craved

C olonel Jones as he escorte d Burrell to the door
, there is
” ’
much that I would mention although this is the Lord s day ,
.

A y certa i n ly
, Gracious e an well I woul d speak with
.

"
h im who brought this parcel .
3 28 TH E B UCCANEE R .

equ al ity have not enthu siasm enou gh to understand or to fee l

,

th e greatness that slights and even scorns m agnificence ! a

, ,

gilded pagean t wins their hearts ; and a title overturns their

understandings We w ill here hazard the assertion that if
.
,

C romwell had listened to a very po w erful party and had ac ,

c e pte d instead of ha v ing declined the name while he possess ed

, ,

th e station of a King he would have conquered all the

,

obstacles by which he was surrounded and have bequeathed a ,

thr one to his son that in all human probability would have
,

been continued in his family even to o u r ow n day W e ,

.

m ust lea v e this sentence st artling though i t may be without

, ,

th e arguments n ecessary to s upport i t certain it is however , ,

that so tho u ght the Protector himself who considered that the ,

people of E ngland like the Israelites of ol d would never be

, ,
”
at rest until they had a king to rule over them .

I t would be a vain attempt to describe the su fferings of

’
Robin Hays from the moment when the news o f Barbara s
,

death fell upon him like a thunderbolt and he qui tte d the pre ,

sence of the Protector without the power o f reply He w as .

sensible of only on e feeling awake to only one emotion

his heart echo ed but to on e sensation —his eyes burned with
in their sockets all things before him were confused and
there w as but a single image present to his mind A s if in .

compa s sion to his personal deformity N ature had endow e d ,

him wi th a degree of sentiment and refinement perfectly at

w ar with his habits and pursuits But in his ca se such c om
.
,

passion w as if we m ay so s peak cruelty Had he been born

, , .

to a higher station i t might have been a blessing — in h is

,

present sphere i t w as a curse a curse which the Ranger had

felt most constantly and most acutely H e had been laughed .

at by such as R ou pal l who exulted in the possession of mere

,

brute strength ; and he had been sneered and scou ted at by

the giddy and the vain who dreading his sarcasms repa id
, , ,

themselves by finding out his on e vulnerable point and prob ,

ing it to th e quick Barbara had stolen into hi s heart u n c on

.

s ciou sl
y as a sweet and q u iet stream insinuates i tself through
,

the bosom of some rugged moun tain so ftening and fertilising ,

s o gently that i ts influence is seen and acknowledged while

,

its power is unaccoun ted for and i ts sour c e un k nown The .

belief tha t the young Puritan en tertained an a ffection for him ,

was a belief he hardly dared to cherish but there were time s

 TH E B UCC A NEE R . 3 29
S

when he did cherish i t and it was at s u ch times only that h is

turbulent and r e stless mi nd was enabled to find repose : the n
the memory of her kindne s s her gentleness her ten derness
, , ,

would come upon him like sleep to the e y e s of the weary

‘
‘

like a fresh well in a sandy desert l ike a gentle spring after

a stormy winter — in a w ord like woman s love where it is,
’

most hoped but least looked for Whenever he indulged th e

,
.

idea of her a ffection he felt like on e u plifted above the world

,

i ts base sorrows and still baser j oys earth had for h im

but on e sound of comfort it was the name of her he loved
but on e promise o f happiness and from her it was ne ver for
a m oment severed —h 0pe love faith centred in her,
sh e , ,

was his world and though his wan dering employmen ts migh t
,

summon him elsewhere i t w as i n her presence alone that he

,

relished or even felt existence A t times when the acidity of

, .
,

h is nature forced him to distrust her smiles and he u pbraid e d ,

her tho u gh she deserved it not hours of pen i ten ce could n o t,

blot ou t from his o w n remembrance the act of weak n ess an d

inj ustice : he pondered upon it lon g after th e gen tle girl had
forgotten that ever unkind word h ad passed between them .

Beings o f a gross and fettered nature cannot conceive of a love

s o pure as that whic h Barbara felt for the mis sh apen Robi n -

so perfectly devoid of earthly passion y e t s o faithful so ,

exalted so devoted — s o engrossing ! She had looked so

long on his deform ities that she had ceased to perceive them
,

and often paused and wondered what people mean t by flouti n g

at his plainness But the excellent and gentle girl was n o w
.

to the unfortunate Ranger only as a dream of the past

vanished from o ff the earth like a sweet perfume or a sweeter ,

melody with the memory of which comes the knowledge that

,

i t can be enj oyed no more .

A fter he had ibe en conveyed to another ch amber the phy ,

s ic ian ordered restoratives and immediate bleeding ; but

time did more than the leech s art ; and the first wish he ’

formed w as that he migh t once more wend his way to the

,

Isle of Sh e pe y and gaze again and for the last time u pon
, , ,

the form o f h e r he loved .

O nce arouse d from his torpor the m eans of e ffecting h is ,

escape was the first thing he considered H e had been .

re m oved to on e of the lower rooms and his apartment could ,

not be termed a prison though the door was fastened on the

,
3 3 0 TH E B UCCANEE R .

outer side for the window was not more than ten feet from
the ground and unbolted ; i t looked ou t into the garden and
, ,

the sentinel placed beside that portion o f the building had a

longer range than was usually allotted to the palace guard .

Robin soon ob served that the lawn beneath was planted with
rich clusters of young trees The hour for evening prayer
.

had arrived ; so that the household would be most probably

engaged and the garden free from v isite rs
, He looked fro m .

the win dow it was one o f the loveliest days of summer a

day that at any other time he w ould have welcomed with all the
enthusias m of a true lover o f nature so warm the air so sweet ,

th e flowers s o silen tly fl itte d the sm al l in sects as if dreading

, ,

to disturb the repose of the sunbeams that slept on the green

t urf . N othing could be more unlike the vicini ty of a court ;
th e very sentry seemed to tread i t as hallowed ground — h is
s tep was scarcely heard along the soft grass .

Robin did not attempt to assume any disguise .

I shall walk boldly when I get ou t o f th e garden he ,

thought , and if I am taken before C romwell I will say why ,

I desire liberty I only wish to s ee her once more an d then ,

’
farewell to all the red cross against my name in O liver s ,

d ark book may be dyed sti ll redder

’

, i n my heart s blood
Although his arm was sti ff from the bleeding he had
’
undergone but an hour before h e watched till th e soldier s
,

back was turned and dropped from the window He had

,
.

s carcely time to conce al him self beneath a r o w of evergreens

w hen the sentinel turned on his path Robin crept on from
.
,

tuft to tuft — now under the shadow of a tree now un der

that of a turret until he found himself close to a high wall
,

which flanked the side next the river ; and then he became
sorely perplexed as to the method o f his further escape To .

the right was a gate which fro m its posi tion he judged led
, ,

i nto one of the outer courts and notwithstanding h is first t e

, ,

solve of braving his way habit and consideration induced him

,

t o prefer the track least frequented or attended with risk At .

th e extremity o f th e wall where it turned at a ri ght angle to

,

a fford an opening fo r a gateway gr ew an immense yew tree -

,
,

sol itary and alone like some dark and malignant giant stretch
, ,

ing out its arms to bat tle with centuries and storms softened
by no shadow cheered by no sunbeam enlivened by no ,

shower no herb or flower flourished beneath its ban but there

, ,
3 3 2 T H E B UCCAN E E R .

”
I never though t to have wept agai n he said f an d I , ,
‘
_

bless God for the ease it gi v es me yet why should I bless that
which has cursed me ? A nd again his heart ret urned to its
bitterness the hand that so often had attuned it to gentleness ,

was cold cold in death Alas resi gnation is the most diffi .

cult lesson in the C hristian code few there are who learn it
to perfection it requir es a long an d a melancholy apprenti ce
ship
A gain he endeavoured to withdraw the ivy an d once ven ,
“
tu re d to speak ; but he dreaded to raise his voice A t al l .

” “
events though t Robin
, I will send him a token ; an d
, ,

extending his hand he dropped the paper containing the lock

,

o f h air which had been given him by the blithe landlady o f

'
the Oliver s Head The ringlet was received for on the in
.
,

stant the singing cea sed and presently l Val te r De Guerre ,

called aloud I n the name o f God who sends me thi s

, ,

Bitterly did Robin reg ret that he was totall y unprovided

wi th pencil tablets or aught that could convey in telligen ce to
, ,

Walter A t anothe r time h is active genius would have found

.

some means o f communication but his faculties were only ,

half alive and he could but regr et and listen

,
I t would ap .

pear however that as W alter S poke he was interru p ted by

, , , ,

some on e en tering his chamber for his voice suddenly cea sed , ,

a n d though Robin heard it again it w as in converse with ,

another He listened attentively for some time but could

.
,

catch nothing of the subject u pon which they spoke .

A s su ddenly as the inter v iew had co m menced so suddenly ,

did i t terminate for though Robin thre w pieces of stick an d

,

fragments of mortar in to the aperture to intima te that he con ,

tin n ed there no answering signal was returned The evening

, .

was drawing on and persons passed and repassed beneath the

,

tree — some of them with hurried so me wi th slower steps : at ,

last the self same page with whom he had j ested rushed for
-

ward in company with the sentinel and Robin heard him ,

say ,
“
I tell you his Highness will wai t no forms ; he com
,

m an de d you instantly to come to him I t is impossible that .

a cat could fall from that window wi thout your seeing it un ,

”
less you were asleep on your post .

I had no caution about the window m as ter and at all , ,

 T H E B UCCAN E E R . 3 3 3

e vents, nothing I am sure could pass from i t excep t a spirit

, , , ,

replied the soldier .

Immediately after the guard passed for the purpose of r e

placing the sen tinel ; and about half an hour afterwards there ,

was a bustle i n the courts the tramping o f brave steeds and , ,

the rolling o f carriage w heel s then the braying tru mpet -

sounded to horse ! and soon the noise of much and stately

pageantry was lost i n the distance Robin Hays cared not to .

m ove u ntil the palace was more at rest but his m editations
were continually disturbed by the passers by Had he been -
.

disposed to listen or pay any attention to those w h o came and

wen t he could have heard and seen things from which much
, ,

that was bitte r and much that was sweet m ight have been
gathered He migh t have observed that a plai n coat or a sim
.

ple hood changes not the nature o f those who wear it yet on ,

the other hand he would have noted that th e plai n coat and
,

simple hood pr e serve from out w ard vice however the inwa rd ,
‘

thoughts m ay tri u mph But the watchful lynx eyed ranger

. -

was changed sorely sadly changed ; in four brief hours he

, ,

had lived more than treble the number of years He patiently .

lingered till the shades of evening closed to effect an e s cape

, , ,

that had now b e com e more easy inasmuch a s the inm ates o f ,

the palace had n early all retired to their apartments Thro u gh .

th e agency of the yew tree he arri ved at the highest por tion
-
,

o f the wall and looking over perceived that a roof de scended

, ,

from the large c 0pin g s tones on which he stood in a sla n t n

-
,

manner and that the building communicated by an a r ched

,

covering to the palace the Thames was not distan t from the
base of the bu ildi n g more than six ty y ards so that once down , ,

his escape was certain Watching the movements of a sentry

.
,

posted at some li ttle distan ce from th e gate he slid along the ,

roof stretching himself at full length and without any furthe r

, ,
’
mishap crawled to the river s brink plunged in and arrived at , ,

the Surrey side o f the silver Thames i n perfect safety H e

-
.

resolved to cross the country to Bro mley with as little delay as

possible inas m uch as he had frien ds there w h o w ould hasten
,

h is j ourney —and as concealment was n o longer neede d he

,

thought that a good steed would be most valuable be there .

fore availed himself o f on e w h o was enj oying its evening

meal quietly among the Surrey hills ; for the credit o f h is
honesty however it is fair to record he noted the place so
, , , ,
3 3 4: T H E B UCCANE E R .

that on e of his agents could restore the animal in the course of

the following night By this man oeuvre and urging its u t
.
,
-

m ost spee d together wit h the assista nce he received at Brom

,
’
ley Robi n a rrived at King s ferry before the m orning was far
,
-

advanced He did not now as on former occasions cross the

.
, ,

Swale to E lmley or H arty with a vie w to avoid observation , ,

but thre w himself into the boat o f Jabez Tippet the ferry ,

man to whom as i t may be supposed he was wel l known

, , , .

Jabez carried about him all the external distinctions o f

Puritanism — a cropped head — a downcast eye — a measured
step and a stock of sighs and religious exclamations There
,
.

was o n e maxim that found a ready response within his bosom .

H e was all things to al l men ; could aid a smuggler drin k ,

w ith a C avalier pray wi th a Roundhead ,

He was moreover .
, ,

a tall powerful m an — one who if he found it fitting could

, , ,

enforce a holy argumen t wi th a carnal weapon cutti n g a

’
m an s throat while he exclaimed I t is the Lord s will i t
’
.
, ,

is the Lord s will There was noth ing peculiar in his dress
’

except a huge pai r of loose boots of the thickest untanned ,

leather that reached considerabl y above his knees and from

, ,

frequen t immersion in the tide had assumed a deep brown hue .

His hat was conical an d only distinguished by a small dirk

,

glittering i n the band whi ch he carried there as a place of ,

s afety from con tact with the sea water -

.

My gay Ranger travelling in open day when there is such ,

w ild news abroad he said .

Robin made no reply and Jabez who was pulli ng at the ,

huge cable which then as well as now towed the boats across
, , , ,

stopped and looked at him .

My bonny Robin what ails ye man ? Hast been cheated , ,

by the excise or plundered by the Roundhea ds or does the

, ,

stran ge trouble they say h as come upon Hugh Dalton a ffect ye

so much

Robin turned his he ad away ; his grief was too deep to

covet witnesses .

’
There s a guard of I ronsides at C ecil Pla ce by this time ,

continued the man who began to think that Robin w as re

,

lapsing into one of his tacitu r n fits and N oll himself on th e ,

road which I heard not an hour past from two soldiers who
, , , ,
’

have be en sent on wi th his o w n physician to Sir Robert who s ,

gone mad as a March hare and they do say that his H igh
3 3 6 T H E B UCCAN E E R .

plaining cry of rapacious birds when frightened from their

prey The creatures evidently meditated another descen t fo r
. , ,

instead o f be taking themselves to the neighbouring tr ees they ,

circled round and round in the air n o w higher now lower , , ,

mingling their m onotonous notes with an occasi onal screa m

thus in h armoniously distu rbing the sweet solitude by their
unholy orgies I n the mean time the rustling beneath was
.
,

renewed and then as suddenly cea sed ; but the birds instead
, ,

o f descending whirled still higher as i f the object they had

, ,

sought w as for a time hidden fro m their sight The Ranger .

pro cee ded more cautiously than before and peering in to the ,

bushes descried o n e whom he i mmediately recognised as Jack

,

R o u pall unfastening something o f considerable bulk that w as

,

contained in a handkerchief and had apparently lain there for ,

some days as the grass from which i t had been taken was
,
’
completely levelled by i ts pressure Rou pall s ears were .

nearly as quick as those of Robin and an exclamation of ,

recognition escaped his lips as he t u rned round to where the

Ranger stood .

Ah ou r little Ranger said the man ex tending his , ,

“
rough hand it charms me to see you ! I feared you we re
,
'

n abbed somehow for I knew you d be cursed ly down i n

,

the feathers from what the whole island is talking of Hast .

seen the Skipper ?

Where is he ?
’
That s exactly what I want to know ; but no on e has
seen him that I hear of since h e seized the poor girl dead as
, , ,

s h e w as and carr ied her through the midst of the soldiers who
, ,

h ad to o much fear o r too much nature in em to touch him — I

’

’
don t know which i t was I m thinking he s off to the Fire fl y .
’ ’
-

,
’
for he said he d bury her in the sea o r hid may be in some -

, ,

0 the holes at the Gull s N est — holes only k nown to a few of

' ’

the sly sort not to us strappers , .

Good God ! exclaimed R obin .

Ah you may well say good God said R ou pal l putting , , ,

on a look o f great sa acity for I m com e to the deter ’

g ,
’
mi n ation that there s much need o f a good God in the world
’

to circum vent man s wickedness Why look ye here now if .

, ,
’
here isn t the head of that infernal I tali an J er om io ! and ,
’ ’
what I m puz zled at is that firs t i t s wrapped in a napki n , , ,
’
which I swear is o n e of th em Hol la nd ones I had 0 the
 TH E B U CCANEE RS '

3 3 7

Sk i pper , and which he swore I coul d have m ade more of ,

had I took them on to London instead o f tifli n g the m at ,

M aidstone and this outside it is Sir W illmott Burrell s

’

, ,

it s th e finest cam bri c

’ ’
here s the crest broidered in goold
”
too he added relieving the m u slin of its disgusting burden
, , ,
’
and folding it with care and tis a pity i t should be wasted ,

so I ll take care of it — ah ! ah ! A nd the

’

on filthy flesh
’ ’
napkin s a goo d one : it s sinful to spoil any thing God sends
ah ah The fello w used to wear ear rings too be con -

tinned stooping over th e feste ring head while the ravens

, , ,

whose appetites h ad increased when they s a w the covering

en tirely removed fl appe d the topm ost bran ches of the trees
,

with their wings in their circling and screamed more vigorously ,

than before .

”
H ow came i t how happened i t ? in q uired Robin per
-

fe c tl y aroused to the horror of the scene to which R ou pall ,

appeared quite indi fferent .

I kno w no more than you replied the good humoured ,

-

r u fli an holding up a j ewelled ear ring between h is fi ngers

,
-

’ ’
I know no more than you Gad that s fi t for an y la dy s ,

ear in Kent — O nly I heard it w as be lieved amo n g the

sharks that my friend Sir Willmott exci ted a m utiny aboard
,

the Fire fl y which this fellow now wi thout a head headed

-

, , ,
’

and so ye understand lost his head as the Skipper s punish

, , ,

ment for mutiny H ow i t came here . w h ere it may stay

I kno w not There Robin there are a pair of rings fi t for
.
, ,
’
a queen : maybe you ll buy them ; they re honestly worth
,
’

two dollars W ell you would have bought e m if she d ha

. ,
' ’ ’

”
lived .

Me — her excl aimed Robin closing his teeth an d , ,

glaring o n Jack R ou pall with fie n dish fi er cen e s s .

“
Keep off ej acul ated Rou pal l securing th e e ar ri n gs ,
-

and placing himself in a posture of defence Keep o ff !

I know y e of ol d Robin Hays wi th your griping fi n gers and
, .
,

stro n g palms N ever quarrel with a man because he doesn t ’

’
understand ye r deli cacies which are things each makes in hi s ,

o w n m ind
’
s o that no on e el s e can taste em
,
I meant no .

’ ’
harm only mark ye ye sha n t throttle me for nothing the
, ,
’
next go so keep o ff ; and I m o ff for sides 0 flesh an d sides ,
’

’
0 iron are astir ti there so th is is no place for me I shall
p .

’
be o ff and j oin King C harlie : h e s much in want of strong
,

z
3 3 8 T H E B UCCANEE R .

hands I hear and who knows but the time is comi ng when
, ,

the king shal l enjoy his own again ?

Do but bury th a t said Robin I would stay and do i t ,
”
but that I must to the Nest at on ce .

”
N o no replied R o u pal l striding away i n a n opposi te
, , ,

direction “ let it stay where it is to poison ravens and the ,

carrion birds -
I t is fi tting food fo r them They had nobler
. .

”
banque ts at N aseby and at Marston .

C HA P T E R V .

D own sto rm y Pas s i o n s d ow n n o mo r e

, ,

L e t y o u r ru d e w av es i n v ad e th e h o re s
W h e r e b l u h i n g R e as on s i ts a n d h i d es
s ,

H e r fro m th e fu r y o f y o u r tid es .

a e 0
a

F l l e a sy P a ti e n ce fa l l l ik e r e t
a , , s ,

W h e re s o ft s pe ll s c h arm a tro ubl e d b reas t . HEN RY K l NG .

W E believe that even those who are anxious to learn if th e

Protector travelled i n safety to his place of destination and ,

what he did when he arrived there will s carcely murmur at ,

the delay which a brief visit to C onstan tia C ecil w ill necessarily
occasion .

We must n o t leave her alone in h e r s orro w which o f a , ,

truth was hard to bear A temporary respite had been a fforded

,
.

her by the terrible events o f the evening ; it w as however a , ,

respite that was likely in her case only to bring ab out a more
, ,

fatal termination What was to prevent Sir W illmott Burrell

.

from branding her fa ther from publishing his c r ime now ,

that he was to receive no benefit by th e terrible secret of wh ich

h e had become possessed ? A lthough she might be pre serv ed
from the dreadful and dreaded doo m of ma rrying a man she
could neither regard nor respect i t was equally certa i n that an ,

eterna l barrier ex is ted betwe e n her and the only on e s h e lov e d

a barrier which n o t even th e power of C romwell coul d break
down or remove I t has been said and said truly that there
.
, ,

are few things reason can discover with so much certainty and
eas e as its o w n defi ciency C onstantia was a reasoning be ing
.
,

and she appeared ever placid i n situations where her fine mind
3 40 TH E B UCCANEE R .

— -

stantia ,
you are not dead I did n ot murder you 1 spe ak ! -

I fired no pistol and y o u did n ot fall ! ,

The sleep she had
so u nintentional ly broke n h a d been but o f short continu an ce

during those weary hours ; and the day was far advanced be
’
fore she had leisure to bestow a momen t s thought upon the
probable turn that migh t be given to her future prospects by the
sudden summons of Sir Willmott Burrell to Hampton C ourt .

But u pon whichever side she turn ed her destiny w as dark

, , ,

loweri n g and fearful as th e thunder storm H ow her heart

,
-
.

fainte d when the form o f her favouri te Barbara was presen t

to h er imagination as she last held it bleeding on her bo som
,

H o w mysteri ous was that death ! how terrible ! She would

have gi v en worlds to look upon her but once more for she

M
,
'

could il l reconcile the idea o f that gentle girl s having a sto rm y

’
s e a be d at her father s han ds
-
that ru de unhallowed man , ,

the origin and n ature of whose influence over her o wn parent

s h e n o w u n ders tood but too well .

La dy Frances C romwell woul d have sooth ed her a ffliction

had she known h ow to do so but comfort cannot be given to ,

a sorrow whose source is unknown She entered her frien d s .

’

w atching roo m but could not prevail u pon her to take either
-

repose or food ; and hoping to catch the earliest view o f the

physician whose arri val she knew must be soon she called o ne
, ,

o f her women to attend her and wandered u p the hill to ,

’
i n s ter where the beautiful rui ns o f Se xbu rga s nunnery
,

comman ded so exten s i v e a view o f th e entire island and a ,

considerable portion o f the adj oining country T h e day had .

r isen to o n e o f unclou ded be auty the marshy coast o f E ssex

was cleared of i ts hovering fogs ; and its green mea dows
stretched away in the distance until they were lost in the clear ,

blue sky The southern part of the i sland flat and uninterest
.
,

ing as it is looked gay and cheerful in the sun light ; for e v ery
,
-

little lake mirrored the smiling heavens and danced in diamond ,

measures to the m u sic of bee and bird .

The cli ffs at E ast C hurch towered away for n early six miles
-
,

broken here and there by the falli n g o f some venerable cr ag ,

hurled as i t were in to th e ocean by the giant han d of chang

, ,

i n g nature while as a sentinel the house at Gull s N est C rag

’

, ,

main tained i ts pre eminence in front o f th e N orthern O cean

-
.

. The t w o little islands of Elmley and Harty slept to the

s outh east quietly and silen tly like huge ru sh nests floating
- -

, ,
 B UCCA N EE R 3 41
‘

TH E .

on the waters Beyond E ast C hurch the l o fty front of th e

.
-

house of Sh u rl an d reared its stone walls an d stern embattle i -

ments and looked proudly over i ts gree n hills and fertile val
,

leys while i f the eye wan dered agai n to the south i t coul d
, ,

discern the Barro w s where many hundred Danes in the tur

, ,

bul en t times long past found quiet and a grave , .

Several large men of— war with ree fed sails and floatin g
-
,

pennons lay at the entrance of the N ore while a sti ll greater

, ,

number blotted the waters of the sluggish Medway still

the sun shone ove r all ; an d what is i t that the s u n does not
deck with a portio n of i ts own cheerfulness and beauty
” “
Mount up the tower Maud said Lady Frances the
, , ,

tower of the old church i t commands a greater range than I

can see ; and tell me when any cross the ferry ; thy eyes , if
”
not brighter are quicker far than mine
, .

’
Will ye r ladyshi p s it replied the sapient waiting

M
’
m aid I ll spread a kercher o n this fragmen t of antiqu ity
'

ye r ladyshi p c an sit there free fro m any disturbance I can .

see as well from this high mound as from the c astle or church ,
”
steeple my lady i t is so hard to climb
, .

Maud if you l ike not to mount say so and I will go

, , ,
”
mysel f You are dainty young mistress
.
, .

Maud obeyed ins tantly though with sundry mutterings , ,

which well for her her lady heard not for the Lady France s
, ,

w as somewhat shrewishly given and could scold as if sh e had ,

not bee n a princess the rank and bearing of which she w as

,

most anxious to assu m e and carry as highl y as the noblest ,

born in E urope .

? ”
See you aught she inquired at last looking up to is ,

tress Maud whose head surmoun ted by its black hood over
, , ,

looking the parapet wall showed very like a well grown crow
,
-
.

A shepherd on yonder hill lady waving his ar m to a dog , ,

do w n i n the dingle and the beast is driving up the fold as if

,

he were a man
Lady Frances bent over a tombstone near her and read the
inscription I t described in quaint but touching language
.
, ,

the death of a young woman about her own age the day be , ,

fore her intended bridal There had been a w h ite rose tree
. -

planted close to the rude monument but its growth was im ,

peded by a mass of long grass and wild herbage so that there ,

was but one rose on its branches and that was discoloured by ,

z 3
3 42 TH E B UCCANE E R .

a foul canker whose green body could be seen under th e froth

, .

it cast around to conceal its misdeeds Lady Frances took it .

ou t de s troyed i t and began pu l ling u p the coarse weeds

, , .

Such a tomb as this I should have liked for Barbara she ,

said aloud sighing heavily as the words escaped h e r lips

,
.

"
She will not need it replied a voice from under an old ,

archway clos e beside where she sa t

,
.

Lady Frances s tarte d .

Will you tell your friend Mistress C ecil conti nued , ,

the same voice — Lady Frances coul d not see the speaker ,

although as may be readily believed she looked around her

, ,

with an anxiety not divested of terror Will you tel l your

'

friend Mistress C ecil that old Mother Hays o f the Gull s

, , ,

N est C rag is dying and that she has something to comm u ni

, ,

cate wh ich it concerns her to kno w and that the s ooner she ,
’
comes to the Gull s N est the better for the woman s spirit is
’

”
only waiting to tell her secret and go forth ,
.

"
Methinks replied Lady Frances that her own child
, ,

I know she has one — would be a fi tter depositar y for her

.

secret than a lady of gentle blood But why come ye not .

forth ? I hate all jugglery .

Her own child Robin is away th e Lord knows where, , ,

an d those who are not of gentl e blood are as e ager after secrets

as other folk Your father has had rare hunting after th e

.

C avaliers and their secrets though his blood h as more beer ,

”
than Rhenish in it to my thinking , .

Lady Franc es stamped her li ttle foot with rage at the insult ,

and called in no g entle tone

, Maud ! Maud then raising ,

her voice which she imagined cou ld be heard below as the

, ,

garden o f C ecil Place j oined the ruins of Minster she shouted , ,

i n a way that would ha v e done no discredit to any officer i n

the C ommonwealth service Below there ! turn ou t the ,
-

”
guard and encircle the ruins !
,

Turn out the guard and encircle the ru ins mimicked ,

the voice which was evidently receding ; the little Rou nd

’
,

head s in a passion Turn ou t the guard ah ah ah

and the laugh appeared to die away beneath her feet .

Maud had hastened down right j oyfully at the summons ,

and stood be side h er m istress whose temper h ad by n o means ,

”
cooled at the term Roundhe ad as appl ied to herself ; and ,
8 44 THE B UCCANEE R .

’
holily ! If they stand as the mark for a multi tude ! prais e ,
’
they have also to encoun ter a multitude s blame the rabble
will hoot an eagle ; and the higher he soars the louder will ,

they mock yet what woul d they not give for his wings
'

Lady F ran ces s woman found within her narrow bosom an

echo to the sneer of the mys terious voice yet could sh e have ,

become as Frances C romwell how great woul d have been her

,

triumph H ow curious are the workings of good and evil in

the human heart ! How necessary to study them that s o we ,

may arrive at the knowledge of ourselves .

Yet Maud loved her mistress ; and had not Lady Frances
reproved her harshly and unj us tly she wo uld n ever have ,

though t “ Marry come up ! I wonder who sh e is The

, ,

spirit of evil worked at the moment in bo th in the lady as ,

a triumphant tyrant in the woman as an insolen t slave , .

We leave it to ou r philosophical readers to dete rmine wh ich

o f the two manifestations w as the m ost dangerous we h o pe
their displeasure against either will not be very violen t ; for
we have but too frequently observed the self same dispositions -

animate bright eyes and o pen coral lips IVo m e n are fr e .

quently greater tyrants than men because of their weakness,

they are anxious for power as the m eans o f stren gth ; and
therefore they more often abuse i t than use i t properly and
m e n ar e better slaves than women ; because an innate c on
s ciou s nes s of their strength which they are apt to believe they
,

can employ whenever a fi tting Opportunity occurs keeps the m ,

tranquil I t has been often noted that in popular tumults

.
,

w omen are frequently the most busy and the leas t easy to be ,

controlled .

'

N o one would have supposed that Lady F ran c es s temper had

been r uffled when she crep t into the room where C onstantia
,

was watchi ng her still sleeping father and communicated th e ,

news of the anticipated death of Mother Hays with her strange ,

request in so low a whisper that happily he w as not dis

, ,

tu r be d
.

'

She quitted the apartment w hen her father s ph y sician w as

announced but not until he h ad informed her that his High
ness was about to visit the Island inquire personally after the
,

health of Sir Robert C ecil investigate the strange murder tha t

,

had occurred inspect the fortress o f Queenborough and asce r

, ,
.

tain if m e ful fortifications m ight not be erected at Sheerness

thus mingling publi c wi th private business .
 TH E B UCC A NEE R . 3 45

C HA P TER V I .

d e adly n i g h t d i d l as t
Th i s
B u t for a l i ttl e s pac e ,

A n d h e av e n l y d a y n o w n i gh t i s p ast
, ,

D oth s h e w h is p l ea san t fa ce 1
at a
t t t k

Th e m y s ti e l d s th at fa ll som e ti m e
c ou ,
A n d ov e rc a s t th e s ki es
-

,
A r e l i k e to tr o u bl e s o f o u r ti me ,
W h i c h do b u t d i m m e ou r e y e s ;
B u t as s u c h d e w e s a r e d r i e d U p q u i te
W h e n P h oe b u s h e w es h s fa c e
s i ,

So ar e su c h fa n c i e s pu t to fl i g h te
W h e r e God d oth g u rde by g r ac e . GA SCO I G NE .

Irwould be an act of posi tive inhumanity to l eave th e u n for

tu n a te preacher any longer to his soli tude wi thout taki ng ,

some note however brief it may be o f h is feelings and h is

, ,

su fferings A fter consigning h is packet ( whi ch as we have

.
,

.seen w as not only receive d but appreciated by

, the Pr o
,

tector ) to the rocks and breezes o f the Gull s N est C rag he

’

s a t h i m down patiently with h is Bible in h is hand to await

, ,

w hatever fate was to be fall him o r as he m ore reverently and , ,

“
more properly te rmed it whatever the Al mighty migh t
,
”
have i n store for him whether it seemed of good or of evil
,
.

The day pass ed slowly and heavily ; but before its close h e '

had the satisfaction of ascertaining that the parcel h ad disap

p e ar e d A gain and again he climbed to the sm all opening :
.

at one ti m e he s aw that the fierce sunbeams danced on th e

waves and at another that they were succeeded by the rich an d
,

glowing hues of th e setting su n ; then came the sober grey of

twi ligh t the se a birds screamed their last good ni ght to th e
-
-

wate rs — one by on e the stars came ou t gemming the sky ,

with brilliancy and sparkling along their appointed path

.
,
.

The preacher watched their progress and medi tated on their

m ysteries ; though h is m edi tations would have been mor e
chee r ful could he have partaken of any o f the creature
”
comforts appertaining to C ecil Place and under the special ,

j urisdiction o f Solomon Grundy I t w as i n vain that he .

h ad recourse to the cru shed oranges they me rely kept h is

lips from parchi ng and h is tongu e from cleaving to the roo f of
his m outh and by the dawni ng of th e Sabbath morn he was
,
“ ”
verily an hungered not su ffering from the puny and
 3 46 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

sickl y faintness o f temporary abstinence but li teral ly starving ,

for want of food He pace d his narrow cell — called l oudl y

.

fro m the windo w exhausted his strength i n frui tless endea

vou r s to shake the door which the treacherous Burrell had so

securely fastened until as the day again approached to its

, ,

termination he threw himsel f on the ground in an agony of

,

despair .

To die such a death — to die without a witness or a

cause ! I f the Lord h ad willed that I sho ul d su ffer as a ~

martyr for his holy w ord Jonas Flee tw or d would not have,

been the man to repine but gladly would have sacrificed his
,

body as a proof of his exce eding fai th and as an example to ,

’
encourage others ; but to be starved for Sir Willmott Burrell s
pastime — to s tarve i n this horrid cell — to feel nature de
c a in g within me while not even the ravens can bring me
y ,

food ! 0 God ! 0 God ! pass thou this cup from me or im ,

p lant a deep Spi ri t of patience and resignation within my soul

The unfor tunate man continued praying and exclaiming ,

until nature became almost exhausted and he sat opposite the ,

aperture his eyes fixed on the heavens from which the ligh t
, ,

was once m ore rapidly receding .

I f the villain wi lled my death why not exterminate me ,

‘

at once ? he thought ; and then he prayed again and as his

fervour increased the door opened and by the dim light that
, , ,

entered his cell he disco v ered the fi gure o f a tall stalwart

,

m an who was in the middle o f the chamber before he per

,

ce ive d that a living being occupied any portion o f it .

The Lord has h e ar d l — the Lord has answered ! the

Lord has delivered exclaimed the preacher springing on h is ,

feet with astonishing agility ; then going up closely to his de

l iver e r be scanned his features with an ear n est eye and c on
, ,

tin u e d It is not the chief of cunning art and bloodshed

, , , ,

albeit one who appears skille d in the habits of warlike people

'

‘
Friend m y inward man doth greatly su ffer from long abs ti
, ,

n e n ce seeing I have not tasted any thing but a frag m en t of

,

bitter orange in a state of decomposition to which I should ,

s oon have been reduced m yself but for thy timely arrival !
Behold I have been compelled to tarry here a pr i soner for the
,

space of thirty six hours computing by the rising of th e s un

,

and the setting thereof — A rt thou a friend to Sir Willmo t t

.

Burrell P .
3 48 TH E B UCCANEE R .

forts, was lighted by a small iron sconce ca re fully gua rde d ,

by a horn shade Directly op posi te the entrance a female w as

.

seated afte r the E as tern fashion cross legged upon a pile of ,

-

cushions She placed her finger o n her lip in token of silence

.
,

and the Buccaneer returned the signal by beckoning her for

ward ; she rose though with some di fficulty and as a rich
, ,

shawl in which she had be en enveloped fell from her shoulders

, , ,

her appearance denoted her a marri ed woman Dal ton pointed .

to Fl ee tw or d and the instant she saw him she clasped her

, ,

hands and would have rushed towards him ; but this the
,

Skippe r prevented and they exchan ged a few sentences i 11 a

,

strange language the apparent result of which was that D alton

, ,

proceeded to examine the pockets o f the sleeper and even ,

thrust his hand into hi s bo som w ithout however it woul d , , ,

seem fi nding What he sought There w as the small Bible a

, .
,

handkerchief a reading gl as s some fragments of orange peel

,
-

,
-
,

which perhaps he had unwittingly thrust the re one or two old

, , ,

religious pamphlets a newspaper and a stri p o f parchment

, .

The foreign lady shook her head as Dalton laid each upon the ,

table A fter a fe w more words both the B u ccanee r and the

. ,

stranger were secre ted in the arched chamber and the curtai n ,

o f skins agai n fell over the entrance .

’
I t w as past the hour o f the nex t day s noon before the
preacher recovered from the e ffects of potations s o unusual to
h im . I t was the n that Dalton questioned him and discovered ,

the artifice and cruelty of the treacherous Burrell in abandon ,

ing the poor preacher to sta rvation : a consequence that must

have occurr ed had not the Skipper providentially stood in
,

n eed of some articles of bedding tha t were kept in this cham ,

ber as matters rarely needed by his crew

, .

F le e tw or d having explained what he had done with the re

,

quired papers woul d have w illin gly depar te d but Dalton de

, ,

tai n e d him frankly saying that he cared not j ust then to

, , , ,

trus t any o n e abroa d who had seen so much o f the mysteries ,

of his singular palace Without further ceremony he was .

,

again confined i n a smal l cupboard l ike cavity close to the

’
-

, ,
’
hostelry of the Gull s N est .

’
I t was not long after the preacher s second imprisonmen t ,

that Robin Hays might have been seen treading the outward ,
'
m a zes of the cli ff and wit h out pausing at his mother s dwell
, ,

ing approaching the spot where o n a former occasion B urrell

, , ,
"
 TH E B UCC AN EE R . 3 419

h ad received the signal for entrance from Hugh D alton He .

’
w as ign orant o f his mother s illness but the in formation that
Jack R ou pall u nwittingly communicated was not lost upo n
him and h e had earnestly scanned the water s to see i f the ,

Fire fl y were o ff th e coast Though the gallan t sparkling

-
.

ship hardly hoisted the sam e co l ours twice in the same week ,
and though sh e had as many false fi gu r e heads as there are -

days i n Januar y , ye t Robin thought he never coul d be de

c eive d in her appear ance and he saw at o n ce that though there
, ,

were many ships in the o ffing sh e certainly was n o t withi n ,

sight o f land The feeling that he should look on Barbara no

.

more w as another source o f agony to th e unhappy Ranger .

Yet he could h ar dly believe that the Buccaneer would so soon

part w ith the beautiful for m o f a child he so clearly loved .

H e stru ck his own peculiar signal against the rock an d i t was ,

quickly answered by the Skipper himself who extended his ,

hand towards his friend w ith every demonstration of j oy Robi n .

s tarted at seeing the Buccaneer in s o cheerful a mood an d w as ,

endeavouring to speak w h en the other prevented h is words

,

from coming forth by placing his hand on his lips

,
The .

Ranger s head gre w diz zy — his knees smote agai n st each other
’

,
’
and he gazed o n Dalton s countenance eager to as certain i f ,

there was a possibility of h Ope or if excess of grie f had de ,

a

ranged his intellect .

”
Silence ! silen c e ! silence ! repe ated th e Buccaneer in ,

the subdued voice o f a puny girl ; and Robin thought his eye
glared wildly as he Spoke .

”
Where where is she ? mu tter ed Robin leaning for .
,

su pport against a projecting stone that served as on e of the ,

slides for the rough but skilfully managed doorwa y — his

,
-

heart panting with anxiety to behold and yet dreading to look ,

u pon th e form o f the dead Barbara The Buccaneer pointed .

to where the ski n s h ad hung when F l ee tw or d was in the cham

h e r and the Ranger attempted to move towards it ; but his
,

feet were as if rooted to the earth Dalton watched his agi ta .

tion with a curious eye yet Robin perceived it not He m ade .

severa l ine ffectual attempts to s tir from his position but con
tin n ed fixed in the s ame spot u nable to withdra w his gaze ,

from the opening A t length the blood circulated more freely

.

in his veins his chest heaved as if the exertion of breathing

, ,

w as an e ffort he could not long continue and he staggered, as

 3 50 TH E BUOOA N E E R .

a drunken m an towards the entrance ,

The u n certaint y of .

his step was such that h e would have fallen in to the chamber;
had not the Buccanee r: sei zed him within h is powerf ul grasp;
o n the threshold of the inner chambe r an d silently directed his ,

attention towards a p ile of cushions covered wi th a variety of ,

coloured silks and furs on which lay a form h e could not m is

,

take The hair divested of i ts usual cap rested in shadowy

.
, ,

masses on the t h roat and bosom and the ligh t of the small , .

lamp fel l upon a cheek and brow whi te as monumental marble .

By the side o f this rude yet luxurious couch crouch ed another

, ,

female holdi ng a fan or rather a mass of superb ostrich fe a

, ,

th e r s which she moved slowly to and fr o so as to crea te a cur

, ,

r ent of air withi n the cell I t contained one other inmate .

th e little and ugly C risp lying coiled up at the foot of the , ,

cushions his nose resting between his sm all rough paws hi s

, ,

eyes fixed upon his m aster to hail whom he sprang not fo r ,

ward as was his custom with a right j oyful and doggish salu
, ,

ta tio n but mutely and quietly wagged his dw arfi s h tail

, ,
so ,
-

gently that i t would not have bru shed o ff the do w n from a

,
’
bu tte r fl y s wing .

R obin grasped his hands co nvulsively together shook

back the hair that curled over his forehead as if it prevented ,

his seeing clearly his breathing became still more pain fully
distinct large drops o f moisture burst upon hi s brow his
tongu e moved but he could utter no sound — his under lip
,
’
worked in fearful con v ulsion and despi te Dal ton s e fforts to ,

restrain him he sprang to the side o f the couch with the

,

bo und of a r e d deer and falling on his kne es succeeded i n ex

’

, ,

claiming ,

She lives she lives

The swee t sleeper at once awoke the long dark lashes sep ar
a ted and the mild hazel eye of Barbara turned once more
,

upon Robin H ays a weak smile separated lips that were as

whi te as the teeth they sheltered as she ex tended her hand to ,

wards the Ranger B u t as if the e ffort was too much h e r

.
, ,

eyes again closed and she w ould have looked as if asleep in

death but that Robin kis sed her hand with a respectful feeling
,

that would have done honour to men of higher breeding ; The

maid e n blood tinged h e r cheek with a pale and gentle c olour
the hue that tints the inner leaves of a blush rose .

The Buccaneer had been a silent spec tator of this scene and ,
3 52 T H E B UCCANE E R .

manhood who would take Barbara to his bosom and call her
, ,
”
by the hallowed name of wife he could lay his head upon ,

his pillo w and die in peace the grandsi re of a race of sons

, , ,

who w ould carry the name o f Dalton honourably over the

waves of many lands H e had never in all his adventures .
, ,

met with a youth who had gained so much upon his a ffections
as the lad Spr in gall He knew him to be brave and honest,
.

of a frank and generous nature well cal culated to win the ,

'
heart of any maiden ; and he had arranged for th e you th s
temporary residen ce at C ecil Place at a time when he knew ,

the baronet could not refuse aught that he dem and ed with a ,

view to for ward a long cherished design -

.

Barbara will see and I am sure love h im quoth Dalton

, , , ,

to him sel f : how can it be otherwise ? Matters may change

ere long an d if they do
,
His fam iiy is o f an ol d Ken t
,

ish stock wel l known fo r their loyalty which in truth made

, , , ,

the bo y qui t the canting ship the Provi dence when he met , ,

with a fi tting opportunity She cannot choose but love him .

and even if at the end o f ten or tw enty years he sh ould turn

, ,
’
out a gentleman he ll ne v er s corn her then ; for faith he coul d
, , ,

n ot she is too like her mother to be slighted of mortal

man A nd so he dreamed and fancied as scores of fathers , ,

have done be fore and s in ce that all things we re going on ,

rightly When Sprin gal l held occasional communication with

.

him he n ever saw h im tread the deck without mentally ex

,

claiming What a brave skipper that boy will make ! He

,

has the very gait o f a commander : the step free yet careless ; ,

the voice clear as a warning be ll th e eye keen and as strong ,

’ ”
as an eagle s Then he would l ook upon h is ship and
.
, ,

a postrophising her as a parent would a fondl ing child con ,

tinne ,
“
A h ! your fi gu re head wi ll be all the same when he h as
-

the command and your flag will never cha n ge Y o u may

,
.

double the C ape then without dread of a privateer crowd sail

beneath the great ship A rgo or be rocked by any land breeze ,
-

in Britain without dread of molestation The lad may look .

,

as I have often done over the lee g angway during the m om

,
-

i ng watch seeking the sigh t o f the far o ff fle e t — th e fl eet

'

that will hail him as a friend not a foe ! A nd he will love ,

’

every spar of your timber for the sake of ol d Dalton s

"
daughter !
 TH E B U CCANEE R . 3 53

The feelings of the Buccaneer towards Robin Hays were of

‘

a very di fferent nature He loved and esteemed the maniki n

.
,

and valued his ready wit and his extreme honesty He was also .

’
gratified by the Ranger s skill in penmanship and book learn -

ing and took marvellous del ight in his wild sea songs but
,
-
,

that he could look to be th e h u sband of his daugh ter had ,

never for a momen t entered h is thoughts N ow however the .

, ,

unwelcome truth suddenly flashed u pon him there were signs

and tokens that could not m islead the fearful a gitation of the
on e — the evident j oy of the other — the flush that tinged

her cheek the smile that dwelt but for a moment upon her
, , ! ,
’
palli d lip gave such evidence of the s tate of the maiden s
,

heart that Dalton could not waver in his opinion

, could not
fo r an instan t doubt that all h is cherished plans were as
autumn leaves sent on some especial mission through the air,
,

when a whirlwind raves along the earth .

To th e Buccaneer it w as a bitter knowledge ; the j oy that

his daughter was of the l iving an d not among the dead was . , ,

for the time more than half destroyed by the certainty that
,

she had thrown away the j e w el of her a ffections upon o n e

”
w h om in his wrath Dalton termed a de formed ape
, ,
.

The Buccaneer turned from the Ranger in heavy and heart .

felt disappointment ; then walked two or thre e times across

the outward room and then m otioned Robi n Hays to follow
,

him up th e stairs leading to the back chamber of the small

,
’
hostelry o f the Gull s N est C rag .

TH E
,
C H A PT E R V I I
G ood s ir l oo k u p on h im
,

B u t l e t i t b e W i th m y e y es an d th e c a r e

apartment which the Buccaneer selected as his place o f

conference was at some distance from though on a line with
,

A n d y o u l l a ppr ove h 1m w ort h y

’
,

2 Y o u s h ou ld o w e t ou r d au gh te r s l rfe a nd sa fe ty
Of w h 1c h w i th ou t y m s h e u n c a pa b l e
o
1

that which F l ee tw or d had so un w illingly tenanted I ts entranc e

’
s

.
’

,
.

.
,

M
A S S I NG E R .

w as by two doors, one of secret construction , leading to the

A A
3 54 T H E B UCCAN E ER .

s tairs the other opening into the pass a e that w as frequent ed

,
g

by all who were connected with the Fire fl y -

.

N ow n ow said Robin ,
tell tell me captain how , , ,

all the wonderful things of the pas t days have happened : it is

a strange mystery yet it w as a horrid dream !
,

Dalton again sighed but more heavily than before as he

, ,

replied ,
My adventures are soon told I had despatched to .

t h e Protec tor such documen ts as I kn e w w ou ld lead h i m to

‘

p revent the marriage of Lady C onstanti a m y heart relented

towards her and I saw that Providence was working its reed
,

in other ways without my aid Secreted in on e of the chapel .

vaults I watched the coming of those who were to stay the

,

ceremony I kne w the certainty that come they would for I

.
,

coul d rely upon the speed of the man I trusted and that ,

Oliver would act upon the instant I had n o doubt I have .

long had my own plans o f revenge against the villain B u rrell ,

but they were too slo w for on e so perfect in iniquity Robi n .

he would have murdered me on board my own ship I .

listened for the tramp of the soldiers gloating in my own

mind over his disappointmen t and exulting in his fall think , ,

i n g how his proud spiri t w ould be brought low amid the

crowded court ! But they tarried I could not hear the
’

sound of their horses h oofs although within the old abbey

chapel were the bride the bridegroom , ( curse him I) an d

their attendants A gain I lis tened

. the ceremony began
I sni ffed the breeze like a war steed I heard them coming -

but the Preacher was speaking the words and they would ,

arrive too late A ll consideration for my own safety was lost

.

in my longing for revenge and I will add my deep desire to

, , ,
’
save the la m b from the tiger s fangs I rushed towar ds the .

chapel there was a pistol shot it gave speed to my steps

-
.

A t the door I encountered Burrell and h e — h e the fiend , ,

”
screamed into m y ears that my child was slain !
D alto n and Robin Hays both shuddered and some minutes ,

h ad el apsed before the Buccaneer resumed his story .

I know not what I did except that the place was filled
,

w ith armed men and the dastard Burrell commanded the

,

fa natic Jones ( I remembered him well )to sei ze me moreover ,

h e would have fired I believe he did fire but my memory is

, ,

sadly confu sed .

The n Barbara wh os e bl ood was streaming fr om h er wound

, ,
3 56 T H E B UCCAN E E R .

upon u s for th e simple senseless powerless things that fill u s

, , , ,

with so much hope and strength and energy I I saw a , ,

whale once who when h er young on e was struck ! by the

, ,

harpoon came right between i t and the ship and bore the
, ,

blows and took the fatal weapons again and again into her
,

bleeding bo dy ; and when she was struggling in her flurry ,

and the sea around was dyed as red as scarlet still she tried to ,

save her o ffspring and m an aged so as to die lying over i t I t

, !
.

was the very time that I was bringing my ow n girl to E ngland

a little c reature sleeping i n my bosom, and it was by a
vessel i n ou r company the poor whale w as killed ; for I would
not su ffer o n e o f my men to have a hand in su ch a sickening
but I never forgot it — never how she lay over her
j o b
young shielding it to the last with her o w n bo dy
,
I used to
pray — I could pray whenever I took my Barbara into m y
ar m s l — I tho u ght i t a duty then to pray for her and I ,

trusted that she would hereafter pray for me Had I al ways .

her swee t face to look upon I should be free from many a ,

crime I t is a beautiful mystery I say again ; and no on e ,

but myself young man can ever tell what I felt when I kne w
, ,

that she was yet alive ! A s soon as I h ad su ffi ciently col

l e c te d m y senses I examined th e wound
, O ften had I looked .

o n blood and wounds were familiar to me as blackberr ies to ,

a schoolboy ; but I trembled fro m head to foot as if I had ,

never seen either The ball had made its o w n way ou t under
.

the shoulder ; and as consciousness w as fast re turning I

, ,

en deavoured to s taunch the stream whi ch flowed so copiously ,

that I began to dre a d the destruction of m y newly raised hope s .

t ile I was thus occupied I heard so deeply dra w n a sigh ,

fro m some on e close to me that I started back and was h or , ,

r ifi e d at seeing the so u rce o f al l th e evil th e Jewess Zillah

pale as ashes standing by my side I cursed her wi th a
, .

wicked curse and was abo ut to inflict insta nt but most unjust
, ,

punishment T h e unfortunate creature prostrated hers elf at

.

m y fe e t and expl ained as briefly as her sobs perm itted; that

, , ,

enrag e d at Burrell s treachery — fi n ding herself deserted by

’

F l e e tw or d whose faith she relied u pon

,
imagining that
Mis tress C ecil was leagued against her from the circumstance ,

o f her never ta king notice o f the communica tions sh e wrote

and confided to J e r om io s care — wrought up in fact to a

’

, ,

pitch of frenz y she determined on des troying Burrell s des

,
’
 T H E B UCCANEE R . 3 57

tined bride whose appearance she had confounded with that o f

,

m y poor Barbara N othi n g could exceed her peni tence She .

h a d groped her way to the secret entrance in to the tomb It .

h ad been revealed to her by the trai tor J er om io She return ed .

with us after nightfall to this horrid place and has ever si n ce

watched my poor child with the earnestness and care of a
most devote d sister I am astonished h o w she escaped Sir
.

W il l m o tt s vengeance He w a s so hemmed in by di fficulties

’
.
,

that he had no power to act though he tried hard for it The , .

villain J er o m io
I heard of that in terrupted Robin ; R ou pal l told me
,

all : he met me but a little time past in the F o x Glen ; and

’
there too I saw the trai tor s head with the ravens feasting on
, , ,

their prey
”
A h ! ah ! exclaimed Dalton i s that the way Sir Will ,

mott treats his wedding present ! The F ox Glen is beneath

his chamber window ; so I suppose h e cantered i t ou t to find
”
i ts ow n grave i n the grassy hollow .

” ’
t I s this Barbara s father ! thought Robin and the man ,

who would not kill a c u b w h al e P— How wonder ful ! h o w -

strange his modifications of feeling : the older he grows the ,

m ore incomprehensible he becomes .

Robin then detailed the particul ars of his j ourney since he

left the Gull s Nest which as we are already acquainted with
’

, ,

them need not be repeated here and raised himself consider

, ,
’
ably in the Buccaneer s estimation by his attention shrewdness , ,

and above all by the account he gave of his in terview with

, ,

C romwell .

“
I believe i t Rob I believe it — I am sure y ou would
, ,

not betray m e ! But I fear we must abandon this place

this and all others of a similar description I knew that as .

soon as internal commotions ceased ol d N ol l would root u s ,

ou t. He w ill set Burrell on the trail if he can get no other ,

i nformer for he has never bee n too great not to make use o f
filthy tool s to e ffect his purpose He had been here long ago .

but that he dislikes to employ such troops as he has trained in

hunting u p moles and wa ter rats Y e t he thinks i t a disgrace -
.

to his policy not to know all things even th e hiding holes ,

-

’
along the coast There s good nesting i n the C ornish cli ffs
.

but I have done with it pardon or no pardon Sir Robert , .

C ecil s gone mad and I have a game to play there still W hat
’

.
,

A A 3
3 58 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

you tell me o f Walter is most strange yet I feel certain h e is

safe and my course in reference to him must be guided by
, , ,

the e v ents that a very few hours will doubtless produc e C ro m .

well Roundhea d and rebel as he is unless he be marvel

l ou sl y changed — has generosity enough to guarantee the youth s
’

safety were h e a t housand times more dangerous than he can

,

be Whatever may be m y fate his will be a happy one

.
, .

Th ey m ay leave me to rot upon a gibbet so he and m y sweet ,

”
Barbara are safe .

” “
But observed Robin
,
I dread no such peril for you , .

E ven if danger awaits yo u in E ngland there are other lands ,

Ah but my child my child ! Shall I leave her amon g

str angers or take h er into a world that will r ob her of her
,

wealth innocence ?
Gold will do much ; there are man y about th e court of
O liver who love the yellow colour and th e pl ea sant chink of
”
c om .

N o I have other and stronger means of buying mercy

,
.

But m ercy is not all I want I s ometimes think that were I ,

to wal k up to Whitehall banned as I am C romwell would n ot , ,

t ou ch a h air o f my head I would say God di rect me for ‘

.
,
’
the best ! only I fear H e has no though t o f me ex cept for ,
’
m y girl s sake : and Robin touching her I must again say
, , , ,

that
’
Whatever the Buccaneer would have ad ded Spr in gal l s en ,

trance at the mome n t prevented He see med deligh ted at .

m eeting Robin and inquired in the same breath if he had been

,
”
with his mother Robin said No. Spr in gal l then told him , .

s h e w as ill fancied herself dying and that as th e ol d dame , ,

seemed so wishful to see Mistress C ec il sayin g she had some ,

thing important to communicate to her he had gone up to ,

C ecil Place and found a strange m essen ger to do his bidding

, .

Robin needed no urgi ng to seek h is moth er whom he te nderly ,

lo v ed ; and when he had left the room the Buccan e er could ,

'

not help observing that a parent s first thoughts after a j ourney

,

are with th e child but that a child does not always first fly to
,

the parent : A nd yet pursued Dalton the boy loves his

, ,

m other !
“ ’
C aptai n o mine said the ever j oyous and a ffectionate
,
-

sailor who deserv e d the at tachm ent bestowed u pon him by the
,

’
skipper C aptain o m ine I have news for y ou You see , .
,
3 60 TH E B UCCANEE R .

they call her )was employed in doing m y b idding cont inue d

, ,

th e lad I tacked about and loite red along looking at the

, , ,

queer tackling of the hedges, and the ga y colours hoisted by

th e little flowers and wondering within myself how any o ne
,

would like to be confined to the land with its hills and hollows ,
’
w here i t s the same same thing over and over again
,
when I ,

s pie d tw o steel caps and a gentleman in black steering along

_

the road to C ecil Place So I tho u ght i t would be only civi l

.

to go with them seeing they were stran gers ; bu t I did n o t

,
'

care to let them spy me so I an chored in the hedge till they

,

c ame up and then crept along — along o n the other si de like

, , ,

a tortoise and as slowly too faith for the road is so bad they
, ,

were forced to lead their horse s except the black one who I , , ,
’
found was the Protector s ow n doctor going to cure Sir
,
”
Robert C ecil ! What do you think of that ca ptain ? ,

Dalton saw no necessi ty for reply and Spr in gall con ,

tin u e d
I gathered from their talk that C romwell himsel f w as on
the road coming bodily to inquire i nto the murder ( as they
, ,

supposed ) and to rout ou t the smugglers ; an d the rascals

,

were even talking about the prizes having heard the p l a ce was ,

full of riches ; and they said they were sure that m ore than
on e thing brought his Highn e ss such a j ourne
y A t every .

stumble their horses made the psalm singing scoundrels o fl e r ed

,
-

up an ej aculation May I ne v er reef a sail captain if they

.
, ,
’
di dn t pray more going that length o f road than you and I
, , , ,

and all th e the crew of the Fire fl y put together have prayed -

during the last twelve ay twice twelve m on th s l — How is

, ,

Mistress Barbara
What a giddy mind is yours Sprin gall said Dalton in , ,

the same breath you speak of danger and ask for my peace ,
”
loving chil d .

More than she would do for me replied the boy sulkily , , ,

adding with some of the w isdo m of matured manhood

, sh e ,

m ust not remain here though no not another night for who
, , , ,

knows wh at those rascals woul d be at ? I am much inclined

to think with the cr 0p eared fellows that his Highness ( the
-
,

devil take such highnesses say I woul d never lay to w ind ,

ward and trust himself on the island unless he had good ,

reason to think he could kill two ay ten birds wi th o n e sto n e , ,

he is too ol d a man now to go dancing about the country h e

 TH E B U CCANE E R . 3 61

c ause o f a murder or a wedding — neither of which he cares

,
”
much about .

E xcept when they come home — quite home — and Mis

’
tress C onstantia is to him l ike an ow n child There s a deal .

of di fferen c e in the colour of ou r ow n blood and that o f other

people But we must see to it Spr in gall and without delay

.
, , .

The Fire fl y is as you know tricked ou t l ike a Dutch lugger

-

, , ,

m asts — sails — all I defy even Robin H ays to know her

and I had a report spread at Sheerness and Queenborough that
’ ’
she had th e plague aboard Tom 0 C oventry and another 0
-
.
,

the lads have talked of nothing else at the hostelries and not
an hour ago I sent a message to Jabez Tippet with a three ,

gallon memorandum of the best N antz so that he might prate ,

o f i t to all who crossed the Ferry Her cargo is nearly dis .

charged and there are but four men aboard ; they walk the
,

deck by two as sentries to keep up the deception but evil is

, ,

i n the wind whe n the P r ote c tor is stirring I should have got
‘

her ou t far ou t before had I n o t been obliged to move her

, ,

backwar ds and forwards owing to the cursed mischances of th e

,
”
times and Spr in gall I am not the man I was
, , .

“ ”
Look captain ! said the boy energeti cally ;
, I would ,

rather set a torch to the powder chest o f that gay ship than -

,
’
have her turn ed into a Roundhea d Didn t I with my ow n .

’
eyes see a lubberly rascal take a chisel or some 0 their land ,

tools and shave every lock of hair o ff the fi gu r e head of the

,
-

’
Royal C harles and even off th e beard shorte n the nose into
, ,

a stu b and then scrawl under it Th e blessed chan ge this

, ,

regenerated vessel will be known hereafter as the H oly O liver

’ ’
Wasn t that blasphem y C ome captain rouse yourself let s ‘

, ,

cal l a council — there s little Robin Hays he loves her timbers

’

as he loves his life — there s the boatswain and a lot of honest

’

hands Let s ship the b al last — the women I mean — and off
.
’

for the A m e r ice es

’
Let them blow Gull s N est to the devil
.
,

if they like ; so ou r tri m ship is sa fe w hat need we care ? ,

11 1luck is i n the land to any who touch it save to put o ff a ,

”
rich cargo or take i n fresh water .

Dalton shook his head and his heart sank within h im h is ,

m ind becoming m ore and more perplexed when he remem ,

bered the two helpless females who depended on him — the

o n e for life the other for j ustice
, his o w n desire for pardon ,

too struggling wi th his a ffectio n for his vessel

, .
3 62 TH E B UCCAN E E R .

He paced the room for a few moments and aecom ,

then , ~

an ie d by th e animated and daring young sailor sallied forth

p ,

in search of Robin Hays having fir st resolved that th e preacher ,

F l e e tw or d should be sent to k eep wat ch by the bedside of the

dying woman .

C H A PT E R VI I I .

E
’
h is T1m e w h i c h tak es i n tr u st
e n su c
Ou th ou j y
r y ou ,d ll w h r e;
o s, a n a e av

A d pa y s u n o ugh t b u t g
n s n d d us t a e a ,

W h i c h i th e d k d 1l t g v e
n ar an s en ra ,

Wh w h ve w an d er d l l o u r w ys
en e a
’
a a ,

S h u ts u p th e s to r y o f o u r d ys SI R a . W ar re n R umors .

RO B I N when h e quitted the Buccaneer proceeded not towards

, ,

his mother s house bu t again entered the cham ber in which

’

Barbara lay : he paused and li ste n ed to ascertain if she again ,

slept He heard no soun d and at length ventured to divide

.
,

the drapery and look within The motion slight as it w as

,
.
, ,

was noticed by the gentle maid who beckoned wi th her finger , ,

and her lover was in an instant by her side .

I shall be well s oon well again Robin s h e murmured ;

-

, ,

and I know you will be gl ad when I am so .

Robin made no reply but stood wondering at the exceeding ,

beauty of the beloved object that lay upon that strange but ,

n o t un raceful couch He had heretofore only seen B arba ra

g .

in the oddl y fashioned dres s and with the humble bearing o f

-
,

a servant ; but n ow reclin ing on piles of skins a n d velvets

, ,

h e r hair falling i n unconstrained and unt u tored pro fusion over

h e r whi te throat and shrouding her sligh t figure she seemed
, ,

to him the embodying o f all he had ever imagined as belong

ing to the exquisite creatures of other worlds Sour and s ar .

c as tic as he was there were few in that age who had more
,

frequently dreamed o f the pure and holy beings that people

the imagination o f richly endowed minds Solitude is the - .

nurse of all that is good withi n us The world stains what it .

touches and the more we withdraw from it the better we be ,

come Robin knew much of its wickedness but fortunately

.
, ,
3 64 « TH E B UCCAN E E R .
’

Robin replied the m aiden while a flush passed over h er

, ,
‘

pale cheek you are often unj ust ; but I forgive it : for you
,

are abroad in the world which I believe makes people unkin d , , , .

A nd yet I did n o t mean you were unkind Robin N ow do , .

not turn away so strangely I would give the life that has .

been so lately restored to me that your faith was as m y faith , ,

”
that your God was m y Go d .

The Ranger fell on his knees by the side of the couch an d ,

clasping his hands energetically together replied not in a loud, , ,

but in a low e arnest tone , ,

Bar bara teach me your faith and I will learn it

, learn ,

any thing from your lips : I will cast aside m y waywardne ss

-
m y nature shall be changed I will become gentle as a
babe A nd as to your God I am no heathen Barbara but
.
, , ,

an E nglishman and all so born k now there is but O ne to

,

w orship
“
A y but O ne ,
replied the gentle and thoughtful girl ;
,

yet a wild reckless temper like yours i s ever verging to

,

idolatry to th e formation of many gods Do you not worsh ip

,
.

M ammon when you risk body and soul to procure ill gotte n -

”
old P
g
in Reformation is the work of time and there will be time ,

for it Barbara when you are better I will si t during th e

, , .

w hole length o f the Sabbath days winter and summer all the -

,
/

same from sunrise to sunset and listen to the word of God :

, ,

I will n o t speak I will n o t look except to you and you shall

, ,

read to me fro m the beginning to the end and explain and , ,

pray : and even on week days I wi ll hear i t for one hour each -

evening fro m Monday till Saturday week after week till I

, , ,

u nders tand what you expound Will not that improve me .

,

Barbara P
A smile succeeded by an expression of much anxiety passed
, ,

over her innocent coun tenance and then she spoke , .

G o d knows Robin that I have much trouble — m y father

, , ,

I see I feel loves his ship better than any earthly thing ; and
, ,

t hough it would anger him to know it yet I do wish from m y ,

heart the ves s el would fade from the waters as a shado w from
the gree n hill s side He will never become a staid man —
’
r
.

n ever set his heart on things above never either be happy ,

or make me so until no plank floats upon ocean that call s

,

him master A h me Robin ! Mistress C ecil used to say tha t

.
, .
 TH E B UCCAN E E R . 3 65

brought wisdom ; and , if so ,

methinks wisdom brings
'

t was some minutes before the Ranger o fle r e d any c om

her words A t length he assured her h ow fully he
.

believing that Dalton would be much m ore happy i f

”
termed it from the waters an dy e t , ,

the separating o f soul and body

fearful se paration that would i ndeed be an d on e I ,

n o t bear to think o n A h Robin ! I felt death in a

.
,

once and once al most in reality ;

,
and yet m y dear
he i s the soul and the ship the body
, the worthless
ties him to the eart h
A nd has Barbara n o little fable of her ow n to make that
”
m e ou t prettily P
Ah Robin ! I think o f fables as you call them as much
, , ,

ever but am not able to speak the m n o w ; so good b ye

, ,
’

e t not the pro m ise you have made me be like the

wild rock rose which blooms and blights wi thin

-
,

When we i n deed sit together and read and ,

the ple dge you have now given freely to on e

”
labour to make y ou h appy all the day long .

Ro b in agai n pressed his lips upon her hand and le ft the ,

amber with feelings o f deep j oy and gratitude that mock

scription He h ad ho w ever to witness a scene o f a natur e
.
, ,

r
y di fferent .

The last interview between h im and h is mother was brief ,

for duties towards those who lived could scarcely yield their
influence even to those which the dying claimed at his hands .

The k ind and a ffectionate heart of the Ranger was chilled as

small and scantily furnished chamber in which -

su ffe ring in body but stil l more i n mind Had , .

ministering angel she could not have welcomed ,

ter j oy although her eyes w ere dim and her

, ,

st inarticulate as she pressed h e r shrivelled lips

his cheek .

Raise m e up Robin , Robin and move that chest o n

y right Gently gently Robi n it contai ns much that will
.
, ,

ake you rich when I am gone I t would have been hard if.

o u t o f those who came and

has not come

3 66 m u B UCC A NEE R .

Mother replied R0 ,

A h ! she knows not what secrets are i n the ol d

keeping She comes not and I have a story to tell th
. .
,

b e as poison to h er to body and soul Y must

'

a
y o u ,

i t Robin if no one el se will But first h and me a drin

'

‘
.
, , , ,

the stron g waters Ah that will put fresh life into me

.
,

the preachers pre ach their fill nothing rouses on e like ,

strong wa ters
Ro bi n did as she des i red but with evident unwillingness , .

Many years have gone sh e continued yet to the aged , , , ,

m any year s appear as yesterday I was sitti n g by the door of .

this very cottage which had j ust bee n made public — for your
,

poor father — ( honest m an that he was far above your mother ,

i n wisdom and goodness ) your poor father I say had been -

, ,

drowned the win ter before and I was obliged to do something ,

to keep the children and so thought of making the cottage a

,

p ublic well I sat at the door and you were in my arms , .

'

The aged woman s mind appeared to wander for a few m o

ments as if she was calling her thoughts from a long distance
,
.

I t was night dark dark night and many r u n agade s had

, , ,

been about th e coast all day trafficking and trading and smug a

g ling ,
and the gentry helping them for things were not strict ,

then — it was pitch dark with now and the n a gleam of light ,

from a bright cloud and there came towards me a gentleman

I kne w full wel l a gallant handsome gentleman : he sto od ,

upon the rock that hangs over the sea where the sea is ever ,

wildest Presently some o f the strange looking m en j oined

.
-

him and they talked and talked though I heard them not
, , ,

for the wind was whistling around me and I was watching y ou ,

”
as leep .

The woman again paused but soon resumed her story , .

Well as I was saying they talked ; bu t soon I heard a

, ,

cry through the storm and the next minute there was a gleam ,

o f light I saw him struggling ; b u t darkness fell again and ,

o n a sudden while you would clap your hands cam e a scream

, ,

for hel p 0 God ! 0 God ! I hear i t now ! — now I hear

‘

it ! -
Robin another drink of the strong waters that will
, ,

s ilence it !

Mother said the Ranger as he held the cup which her

, ,

sk inny fingers were extended to grasp while her parched lips

,

clanked against each other impatien t of moisture Mother ,

3 68 TH E B UCC A N E E R .

’
knew as much o f Sir Willmott Burrell as I do shh d m ak e ,
’

’
h er night posset with the mermaids before she d wed him
- .

Well Robin Sir Herbert had once a so n

, ,
an only s on and , ,
’

as his lady died in childbed Sir Robert s wife had taken great ,

delight i n the boy and brought h i m up with her o w n c h ild

,

ren and a pretty boy it was so fond of th e sea ! H e would

M
,

s it for an hour together on m y knee and always called me ,

nurse and used to play with you as if y ou were his equal and
, ,

call Mistress C ecil that n o w is his wife ! Swee t lamb that

, ,

he was ! Ro bin Robin he went too h o w I never knew but

, , , ,

I guess : the murderer o f the father thought he shou ld be

more safe if the bo y was away and he pretended grief and h is , ,

poor lady felt it N ow it is o f that boy I would have spoke n

.

to Mistress C ecil for my heart misgives me

,

Farther communication was inte rrup ted by the entrance o f

'

C onstantia s maid who came to ascer tain if the wido w Hays

,

were really dying .

lady has trouble enough o f her own the Lord know s ;

y ,

but she will leave watching by the bed side of my poor dis -

"
tr au gh t master if she can render any aid
, .

"
Robin raise me up exclaimed the dying woman with a
, , ,
“
gesture of great impatience ; rai se me up Robin and push , ,

the hair from my ears that I may hear distinctly Did , .

y ou mean , young woman that Sir Robert was di straught

mad
“
A lack ! yes replied the girl
, mad poor gentleman ,
“
I t is enou gh — enough — enough ! I knew i t would
come in some shape yet madness must be mercy to him
H aving so said she san k back while th e serving wench
, ,
“
stood in astonishment : and at length inquired What she ,

meant
’
She raves was Robin s reply drawing the girl ou t of the
, ,

chamber gi ve m y h u mble duty to your lady and tell her ,

that the s o n of Mother Hays is with her and that she lack s ,
”
nothing the world can g ive her now A s the girl departed .
,

Spr in gall came to the door .

Robin Hay s you must leave even your dying mother

something must be determined on He ! is come Lis ten to .

the guns at Sheerness telling the islan d who has touch ed the
,
”
soil on this side of the ferry .

Robin stood for a moment at the porch and heard the boom fl l ,
 69
r‘
B UCCA N EER
'

THE
« . 6

in g o f cannon heavily passing through the traversing th e air ,

l ow down s and roaring from crag to crag as if rej oicing in

, ,

liberty the ships that lay ou t at sea sent forth a reply and in ,

a moment their flags were waving in the w ind .

R obin returne d for a moment to his mother s room ’

.

”
Mother he said for on e hour I must leave you but I
, , ,

will send some one to watch by your bed side Pray to God -
.
,

a Go d of mercy who has but lately opened m y heart : pray to

,

Him and He will answer

,
I will be with you soon — a hun
.

dred lives may rest upon that hour

His m other appeared scarcely conscious of what he said but ,

with her finger pointed to the ches t .

A n e w but a most unwelcom e light had broken in upon the

,

mind o f th e unhappy Ranger The father of his beloved .

Barbara he had long known to be a reckless and a daring man, ‘

with the stains of many crimes upon his soul but he had n o w
the terrible knowledge that the Buccaneer was a cold blooded -

and hired assassin who for gold for there could have been n o
, ,

other temptation The thought was per fect agony y e t ,

the Ranger resolved to face the man he at once loved and

dreaded and boldly charge him with the act hi s parent i n h er
,

dying moments had communicated .

” “
I t will all be known he thought ; there can be n o

M
,

pardon for the murderer no peace for Barbara the sinless

child of s in

C H A PT E R IX .

i ly th e y al l att onc e abo u t h im l a id

a n ,

A n d so r e be se t o n e v e r y s i d e aro w n d ,

Th at n i gh h e b re a th l e ss gre w : y e t n ou gh t dism a id
H e ev e r to t h e m yi e ld e d foot o f g r ow n d . SP E N s s u .

RO B I N followed Springall into the r oo m he had s o recen tly .

le ft and stood at the entrance ; fixing at the same time h is

,

eyes which i t must h e con fessed were of unrivalled bril lianc y

, , ,

and blackness upon the Buccaneer he said

, ,

C aptain I would speak a few words with you in private

, ,
’

”
a fte r which we will talk of the danger that surrounds us .

D alton and Robin withdre w together, and remained alone

B B
3 70 TH E B UCCANEE R .

for more than twenty minutes during which Springall an d ,

three or four others of the crew who h ad crowded like cr ow s , ,

in to a rookery i n dr ead of an approachi ng storm deba ted upo n ,

and formed plans for th e safety of th eir vessel .

”
Were all h ands aboard said Sprin gall whose youth j oyed , ,

in per petu al hope wer e we all aboa rd I would underta ke ,

to p ilot that vessel ove r and under or through any on e or any

n umber of ships between Sheerness an d C hatham .

”
Throu gh their hulks do y ou m ean ? in q uired Jac k , .

R ou pall who had but j ust j oined the party

,
.

I don t p retend to speak gram mar or book E n gli sh , Jack

’
-
,

retorte d the young sailor no m ore than yourself ; but all

,

who have ever sailed in the Fire fl y as both y ou and I have -

,

done know her quality and that anything can be made o f h er

, ,

I tel l you every beam of h er timbers h as life in it

,
every
spar is a spi rit !
W h a t sort of spirit Is it rum br an dy or Hollands ? , ,

inquired Rou pall who c oul d s ee no m ore value l n the timbers

,

of th e F ire fl y than i n those o f any other ship that car ried a

-

’
good cargo Sprin gall s enthus iasm w as wasted on him ; but
.

i t w as followed by a reply from the hot headed lad that woul d -

h ave led to more than words if another of the party had not ,

in terfered .

F or shame Spri ng to be s o fiery !

, Sur e you know o f
,

old that Jack will have his j oke and means no harm
,
Besides , .
,
’
he s only a land lubber after all -

, .

’
Well pepper away brave boys ! pepper away I ll ha v e
, ,

m y reven ge on you all yet continued the trooper .

’ ”
Y ou w on t inform wi ll you ? exclaimed Spri n gall ever
, ,

ready fo r a fray pushing his be ardless face close to the

,

weather beate n coun tena nce of sturdy Rou pall

-
.

Will you keep your face ou t of my m outh ? replied the

man mount ai n stretching his j aws at th e same time and dis
-

, ,

playing a double row of the most enormous teeth and a gulf ,

which reall y looked as if it could contain the animated coun

te n an ce of the young sailor who as easily moved to mirth as , ,

an ger burst into a merry laugh at the prospect be fore him

, .

”
There boy said the Goliath, take i t easy and talk
, , ,
’
reason about the ship an d tal k the reason reasonably and I ll
, ,

join ye ; bu t Spring has a dash 0 poetry about h im — I thin k ’

i t 8 called poetry : — verse m akin g and verse thinking, tha t

'
- -
 3 72 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

I ll tel l you what retorted the lad drawing him self up

’

, ,

wi th some dignity an d reddening to the eyes ,I may be bu t ,

a boy but have the goodness to remember that every oak w as ,

a sapling and every sapling an acorn

,
If men trample on the .

a co r n i t will never grow to be the o ak

,
for little as i t is the , ,
” ’
spirit of the o ak is in it D ye read my riddle ? .

’
A good humoured burst of approbation foll owed Sprin gall s
-

speech which was hushed by some on e of the party saying

, ,

Here comes ou r C aptain and we can form no plan till he ,

”
i s presen t .

The door accordingly opened after th e hand applied at ,

last to the latch had evidently wandered over the panel seek
, ,

ing the fastening which at first it coul d not d iscover and

.

making outside a noise resembling the s cra tching of a cat .

N o race o f beings s o decidedly di ffer from every other in

’
th e world as sailors : no matter whether they belong to a king s
ship to a smuggler or a merchantman Though there m ay
, , .

be shades among them yet the grand distincti on between men ,

o f th e sea and men of the land endures it is impossible to ,

confound them together A seaman is ever so easily amused .

,

so reckless of consequences so cheerful amid di fficulties so , ,

patient under privations His blue jacket is a symbo l of eu .

t e rpri se and good humour E ven his nondescript hat — black .

,

small and shining as a j apann ed button adhering to the back

, ,

o f his head by a kind of supernatural agency with whi ch ,

landsmen are unacquainted — can never be seen by a true born -

E nglishman wi thout feelings o f gratitude and a ffection which , ,

at all events no other hat in the world can command Al

, .

though the crew o f the Fire fl y would have been looked u pon -

by you r genuine seaman as a se t o f h alf castes which they -

really were yet they had i f possible more rec klessness of

, , ,

character than ever be longed to any number of person s so con

gr egated together ; they had so often j ested at and with death , ,

in all its shapes that i t was little m ore than pastime ; and they
,

had in their o w n persons experience d so many hairbreadth

’ ’
scapes that they looked upon Sprin gall s great and very natu
ral anxiety for the fate o f the ship he l oved as a species of ,

m adness which a little experience would soon cure him of .

The elder ones certainly knew that there was little u s e in thei r
forming plans or proj e cts as their commander would as usual ,

adopt his o wn and adhere to them without their council or

,
 TH E B UCC A NEE R . 3 73 ,

approval I t must h e confessed that lately they regarded h is

.

lying s o constantly off so exposed a coast a proof of want of ,

energy and forethought they had never n oticed before but h is

promp t punishment of J e rom io h ad set his character again on
a firm footing for as R ou pal l said
, I t proved that the C ap ,
”
tai n was sti ll himself .

When the door o f the room in which they were assembled

was Opened instead of the Skipper the lon g lanky figure o f
, , ,

the Reverend Jonas Fle e tw or d presen ted itself in the Opening ;

his coat and hose unbrushed his pinnacle hat standing at its ,

highest and his basket hil ted sword dangling from the belt
,
-

carelessly an d rudely fastened .

Those o f the men who had been sitting stood up while , ,

others rushed forward Some laid their hands upon his

.

shoulders and all demanded whence he came, and what he

,

wanted .

Poor Fl e e tw or d had long since arrived at the conclusion that

he had unconsciously committed some crime for w hich he was ,

doomed to much su ffering in the flesh : first impriso n ed and ,

destined to endure starvation at the hands of Sir Willmott

Burrell ; then fe d but caged like an animal by on e who m he
, ,

denomina ted a man o f fear ful aspect yea of an ang r y coun , ,

te nan c e and fierce deportment yet having consideration for the ,

wants of the flesh then when he had been liberated as he ,

tho u ght for the express purpos e of a ffording consolation to

, ,

and praying with a dying woman and bound by his sacred ,

’
word not to leave Gull s N est he found himself in the midst ,

of the m ost unamiable looking persons he had ever seen as

-

sembled and his pale eye gre w still more pale w ithin its orbi t
from the e ffects of
C ut h im down exclaimed one r u tfian drawing a cut ,

lass long and strong enough to destroy three at a blow

, .

Fill his pinnacle hat with gunpowder and blow him to ,

the devil said another .

H e is a spy and a Roundhead voci ferated a third and , , ,

’ ” ’ ’
wherever there s on e there s sure to be more 0 the breed
, .

”
Search his pockets shouted a fourth ; I ll lay my han d
,
’

’ ”
there s vill any in them .

I m the best at that work exclaimed Jack R o u pal l spin , ,

round and into the midst of the

f explanation .
87 4 TH E B UCCAN EE R ‘

’
The change produ c ed on them by thi s displ ay of R ou pall s
dexteri ty was l ike magic for in an instant they were to a, , ,

man convu lsed with lau ghter the poor preacher r etained most
m otley m arks of the bru ised oranges upo n his hinder gar
m ents which were moreover rent by various fall s or as he
, , , , ,

w ould designate them “ perilous overthrows and there was

,

somethi n g so lu dicrous in his whole appearance spinning on ,

o n e leg ,( for he w as obliged to keep up the other to m aintain

his balan c e ) and looking more like an overgrown insect cal led
, ,
”
by children da ddy long legs than any other creature dwel -
,

l ing upon earth , that the mirth fulness of the sailors might
well have bee n pardoned .

Children of Satan he said at l ast, recovering h is brea th

during their laugh ter Imps of dar kness he added ,

holding ou t both hands i n front as he woul d kee p them from ,

con taminating him by their touch if that ye ever hope

for pardon
I told ye he was a Roundhead — a n e goti ator shouted ,
”
o n e of the rudest st0p his gab at once yard arm h im -
.

Peace peace
, interrupted young Sprin gall he is part
’
o f ou r skipper s cargo a harmless mad preacher and n o spy
, ,
’
he d talk to ye by the hour and make as rare sport as a mas s ,
” ’
service at Lisbon if ye hadn t something el se to think of .

Hear him hear him , exclaimed the tho u ghtless fellows ,

’
who forgot the ir ow n and their ship s dan ger in expectation of
some revelry .

Hear him repeated R ou pall while occupied in searchin g

, ,

his pockets .

A lbei t I was not sen t un to ye ye worthless blasphemous , , ,

and accursed crew began Fl ee tw ord .

A bove there s ung ou t a little on e eyed seaman squin t -

in g up at our friend and poising a long lath so as to arr est his

,

attention by a smart blow across the knees which made the ,

poor man elevate first on e limb and the n the other in what ,
’
sol diers term double quick time Keep a civil tongu
’
your head he added threa tening to renew the salute
, .

” ’
For shame T o m 0 C oventry said Sprin gall who
, , ,
’ ’
m ore generosity in his nature ; if you don t behave I ll ,

ye as neatly as ever top m as t s tudding sail w as spitted on

-

broken stump 0
m aster oflice r that was but is n ot ?
3 76 TH E B U CCA N E E R J

so calm a night There was not on e who could not steer a

.

plank in quiet water from E ssex to Sheerness an d in de fault

, ,

o f that they were al l good swimmers

,
.

“ A nd now my brave fellows ” he added “ I may or I

, , , ,

m ay n o t meet y ou on the deck where I h ave so often trod

, ,

and triumphed O ne great accou nt I have to settle wi th the

.

land before I leave it I may swing from a gibbet before to

.

morrow s sun sets or I m ay secure

’
But if I am n ot with
” “
o u he added breaking o ff his se ntence abru ptly before
y , , ,

the moon rises Mathews will take the helm for I see by h is
,

e e that he will n o t leave the ship he h as mated with so much

y
s teadiness and good seamanship for so long a time The long .

boat must have a light placed like ours and fals e canva s s hung
round s o as to make a bulk while the Fire fl y steals silently
, ,
-

and darkly on her way This if well managed will give an .

, ,

hour s start — But you understand all that Make up your

’
.

’
minds among yoursel v es who s for the land who for the sea
, , ,
”
and I will j oin you again in five minutes A s Dalton ( w h o .

w as more agitated than h is crew had ever seen him )withdrew ,

he heard R ou pall mutter

C onfoun d all sh e things This c1rcu m ben dibu s is all
-

’
owing to his daughter twould be a precious good j ob if she
had never been born or being born was dead in earnest whi ch
, , ,

I hear she is not He s not the same skipper he w as afore he’

took to land and sentimentality ! C onfound all she things -

,
”
again say I they are tiresome and troublesome .

We trust none of ou r readers will echo the prayer of Jack

R ou pall as we draw towards the concl u sion of ou r story
,
.

C H A PT E R X .

V a n is th e u e orn , i b gl h
h p
W e r e tru m e ts m e n to m a n w or n te ! ly k i vi
T ath di
s ta n t s u mm on s se e m s to sa y , in sc o r n ,
h
W e u n te rs m a y be u n te a r e r e n t h dh d i gh .

Sm W rt u a m A VE NAN D T .

C ON ST AN T I A CB crn w atched with much anxiety the progress of

th e carriage s an d horsemen which composed the train and
‘

b ody guard of the P rotector as they pa ssed sl owly along the

‘

,
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 3 77

road that led to C ecil Place A troop consisting of twenty .

,
.

men preceded ; their bright arms and caps and cuirasses

, , , ,

reflecting back the blaze of the setting sun like so many bur ,
’
n i sh e d mirrors Then came C r o mwell s ow n carriage drawn
.
,

by four strong black horses ; they had need of strength -

dragging as they did a weight o f plated iron of which the

, , ,

cumbrous machine was composed The windows were re .

m ar k abl y narrow an d formed o f the thi ckest gl ass withi n

, ,

which was a layer o f horn that if i t were shattered by any , ,

rude assault woul d prevent the fragments from flying to th e

,

inside Behind this carriage rode four mounted soldiers ; i t

.

was succeeded by another and at each side a horseman rode ,

a third conveyance the blinds of wh i ch were closely drawn

, ,

brought up the procession and behind this was only a single

soldier A t some distance perfectly unattended and seeming
.
, ,

as if unconnected with the party came the simple vehicle o f ,

’
the Jew Manasseh Ben I srael However great was C romwell s .

partiality for this learned an d distinguished man he was fully ,

aware o f the impolicy of permitting one of so despised a race

to associate with hi m publicly or to travel abroad under his ,

direct protection .

Frances C romwell j oined her friend at th e window from

when ce she looked and at once con gratulated her on th e tran
,

qu i l lity Sir Robert had enj oyed during the last two hours .

”
Th e physician has done much she replied yet I can ,

hardly trust myself to cherish any feeling that tell s of peace

or h Ope Dearest Frances ! what will be the fate of your
.

”
poor friend ?
’
C onstantia hid her face o n the Lady C romwell s shoulde r ,

and wept but her grief appeared of a less feverish kind tha n
heretofore .

Hope for the best m y father can work marvels when

-

he wills H e may read all right ; and as yet you are u n

.

wedded .

H e cannot restore the sweet li fe of on e I loved so dearly ,

one whose place I can never see filled and upon whose in ,
” ’
nocen t countenance I can ne er again look .

’
I wonder who is in m y father s carriage ? C olonel
Jones I dare say and a couple more o f the same severe cast
, , ,

observed Lady Frances trying to divert her friend s atten tiO

’

,
n

from the thought of poor Barbara not a j oy ful face amongs t

3 78 ar ms B U CCANE ER .

a troop of them the very soldie r s loo k li k e m asse s of grey ‘

-

” ’
stone stuc k on the hor ses backs wi th iron paste
,
.

“ The second carriage “ ”

said C onstantia looks as if it
, ,

contained a prisoner — see a soldier rides at each door ”

,
She .

turned stil l paler as she spoke and grasped the arm of Lady ,

Frances w i th all her s trength though support was required ,

but for a momen t The motion w as unnoti ced by her friend

.
,

who added in her usually gay tone

“
A good gues s ! A nd who is in the third ? some other
’
caged animal ; o n e of my father s pet lions or leo pards or , ,

creatur es of that sort : pet or no pet I would rather see what ,

i t contains than all the others put together — s o much for

’
wo m an s curiosity
The guard are en tering the great gates said C onstantia , ,

and whether he bring me weal or woe friend or foe I must , ,

receive the Protector so as to show ou r sense of the more

,

than honour he has done us .

”
C onstan tia ! exclaimed Lady Frances wh o still li n gered ,

at the window there is a fo u rth carri age a forei gn lookin g

, ,
-

on e , with an over gro w n boot and no atte ndan ts — coming ,

’
behind the train like the last bit of paper at the ta il of a boy s
,

ki te I marvel more than any who that can contain

.

? ”
Will you not come with me to rece ive y our father said
C onstantia exte n ding her hand to her friend Lady Frances
,
.

tripped across the room and took it within hers .

C onstan ti a, nothing frights y o u from y our propriety

”
I am ready .

The sudden though anticipated visit of the Protector pro

, ,

du c e d a proportionate degree of embarrassment and confusion

among all th e inmates of C ecil Place A t any oth er time .
,

the bare intimation of such an honour would have turn ed their

heads and inspi red the ir heels with the al acri ty of St Vitus
,
.

himself ; bu t they h ad felt too much interest in the e vents of

the past week to experience the full j oy to which at an y other ,

time they woul d have y ielded A s it w as housekeeper por

, .
, ,

ter steward cook butler and thei r subordinate s set about

, , , , ,

the necessary preparations wi th the dexterity and alertness of

s e r v an ts w h o know that their firs t duty is Obedience only
'

,
n o t
but their wishes — n ot on e bu t
’
o f the ir employer s words
,

felt the warmes t interest in all that concerned their dear mas -1

ter and s till more dear mistress ; they woul d have gladl y
, .
3 80 TH E B U CCA N E E R r
’

pennon set out against the green meadows and still fh r th er

, ,
’

o ff the blue and beautiful sea — a ll this looked to h e r ch eerful

'

mind as if hope and happiness were about once m ore to enter

C ecil Place The impression w a s so strong upon h er mind
.
,

that she onl y regretted she could not speak of i t to C onstantia ,

who bent her knee to salute the han d of her friend — the
Protector of E ngland while he gallantly removing h is hat , ,

raised her from the ground and imprinted a grave and r e ,

s pec tfu l kiss upon her brow — then having saluted his own ,

daugh ter after the same fatherly fashion he presented a hand ,

to e ach of the ladies and walked bareheaded into the hall

, , , ,

returni n g the salutations of the deligh ted domestics as he

passed and inquiring in a low earnest tone after the health
, , ,

o f his worthy host and friend Sir Robert C ecil A s they ,

.

entered the apartment in which a suitable refection had been

,

prepared C onstantia was about to return to receive her other

,

guests .

“
N ot so observed the Protector retaining h e r hand
, , .

I have taken upon mysel f for o n e day and on e night the

wardenship of C ecil Place if your excellent parent wi ll s o ,
’
permit it ; with the Lord s help we wi l l discharge the trust
well and faithfully Such as I wish to introduce to y ou will
.

j oin us so on and to those who will not I have allotted cham

,
‘

bers Our mutual friend Maj or W ell m ore he added smil

.
, ,
”
,
“
ing, has instructe d me so perfectly in the bearings of this
fine house that I do not at all feel as a stranger within its
,
”
walls .

C onstantia bowed and from her heart thanked the Pro

,

tector for the kindness and delicacy o f his thoughts .

Great and glorious I knew h im ever she said to her ,

self
, but I was unprepared for the tenderness we usually
”
consider the exclusive attribute of ou r own sex .

’
Some five or six of the o fficers and gentlemen of C romwel l s
household were in their turn presented to her ; but Sir
, ,

Willmott Bur rell came not among them C onstantia trembled .

as often as she turn ed her head towards the Opening door .

During the time occupied in partaking of the abundant

repast upon which the deligh ted Solomon had expended all
,

due care and anxiety there were fe w wor ds spoken and neither
, ,

healths nor toasts passed ro u nd — the Puri tans holding all

such Observances as profane things nor was there any allusio n
 B UCCANEE R 3 81
”
TH E .

’
ma
de un fortunate occu r ren ce sof the past day s except
to th e ,

as regarded the disappearance o f the Preacher Flee tw or d, :a .

circumstance which weighed heavily on the mind of C onstantia .

”
I assure your Highness said Lady Frances this is a
, ,

perfect island of romance there has been as much mystery ,

and as many misunderstan dings as wou ld form a Spanish ,

”
play.

“
I am sorry Mistress Frances replied C olonel Jones
, to , ,

fi nd your thoughts still t u rning to these foll ies follies ana

th em ati ze d i n this regenerated land .

’
A smart reply mounted to the lady s lip who was annoyed -

that the plain mistress had taken place o f the title s o univer
sally ceded to her but she dared not send i t forth in her
,

father s presence
’
.

I assure Lady Frances observed her father rising from

, ,

the table at the same time and layin g a particular em phasis

,
’
on the word la dy as if he wo ul d reprove C olonel Jones s
,

plainness I assure L ady Frances that I am a most excel

”
lent unraveller of mysteries o f a ll mysteries he re peated
, ,

wi th a stress on the word A LL that made the blood rush into ,

“
'
’
his daughter s cheek A nd if I may pres ume on such an
.

accomplishment I would req u est the honour o f a private in

,
”
ter v ie w with Mistress C ecil .

C romwell conducted the lady from the room with an air

that would not have dis g race d the descendant of a race of kings .

C H A PT E R XI .

I f y ou , my s on , s h ou l d
pr eva r i c ate
n ow ,

A n d to y our o w n pa r ti c u l a r l u s ts e m pl o y
, ,

So g e a t a n d c a th o h c a bl i ss ; b e s u r e
r

A c u rse W i ll foll o w y e a an d o v e r ta k e
, ,

Y o u r s u b t l e a n d m o s t s ec re t w a y s . B E N J ON S ON .

W H A T E V E R passed between C romwell and the Lady C onstantia

must remain secre t as neither were of a particul arly c o m m u
,

n ica tive di sposi tio n Lady Frances i n deed laboured hard to

. , ,

succeed and comprehend the whole m atter but in vain She , .

waylaid her friend on her passage from the room o f audience ,

3 82 TH E B U COA N E E B .

a nd observ ed in a tone an d manner that betrayed her a nxiety

,

on the subject ,

My father and you have had a long confere nce !

He has indeed honour ed me by much condescension an d
” ’
kindness w as C onstantia 8 reply
,
.

Do you kn ow who m h e h as close ted up so s trangely in

C ecil Place I was going into the oak parlour when a sentry ,

at the door — ( What rou gh fellows th o se soldiers are ! )

’
cried Stand ! as if I had been a statue Wi th that I t e
‘
.

paired to th e small oriel ch a mber but there too was a nother , ,

’ ”
Stand ! Why the hous e is at once a prison and a garrison !
,
”
N ot qui te .

O h you take it more ge n tly than I should

,
to have per
”
sons in your o wn house and not know who they are ,
.

Yo ur father I suppose knows them ; and I may have

, ,

su fficient confidence in the Protec tor of E ngland to bel ieve in

the wisdom of all he does — nothi ng doubting ”
.

My father is ve ry an xiou s about Sir Robert

‘

”
He is i ndeed .

A nd to se arch ou t the des troyer of ou r poor Barbara .

He h as ever bee n to j ustice as i ts right hand .

H o w po or Lady Frances longed to ask of C onstance if her

father had talk ed about Sir Willmott if there were any
tidings of Walter De Guerre or where he had been since his ,

di sappearance with Maj or W ell m c re ! but she could not — she

dared not ask another ques tion : indeed C onstantia e ffectually ,

prevented her so doing for taking her hand with that extra , ,
~

ordinary combination of frankness and reserve which is ever

the characteristic of a great and honest mind sh e said ,

My sweet friend do not question me I have either an

,
’
s w er e d your father s questionings as I answer every one trul y , ,

i n word and spirit o r told him when h e asked what I mus t not
, ,

reveal that I could not tell I never equivo cated in my whole

, .

life equivocation is a subte r fuge m ean as well as sin ful ,

the special pleading of a lie .

My dear Lady Perfection

Do n o t mock me sweet Frances : the World w ill say and
, ,

say rightly you are much nearer perfection than I am y o u

,

have far more of the woman the open cheerful c on fi din g , ,

woman But hear me say a fe w words mor e — and apply

.
,

the m as you will I once saw a young fresh tree —it w as an

.
3 8111 TH E B UCCANEE R .

Ay dear lady
,
th e lion and the mouse — the l i on an d ‘

t h e mouse on ly let it be qu ickl y qui ckly .

Stay Robin you of all men are the most likely to kno w
,

can you tell me aught con cerning one I believe we both , ,

loved
A sk me not dear mistress now only qui ckl y quickly
, , ,
”
to the Protec tor .

I n a few minutes Robin Hays again stood be fore the grea t

(1extraordinary m an b e both respected and feared .

There was a mingling of kindliness and warmth in C rom

’

well s manner as he desired the manikin to come forward

, ,

and having first questioned him about his health commanded

, ,

him to tell his business .

I have intruded on your Highness which is a mark o f ,

”
reat boldness in a creat u re o f suc h low degree commen ced
g ’
,

the Ranger in obedience to the Protector s orders and it is ,

o n behalf o f one to who m I am much bound Al ack great .

sir it is a sad thing when a man o f spiri t of power and of

, , ,

bravery h as no friend to speak for him but on e that Nature

,

threw from her as unworthy of the neat finishing she bestows

on o th ers z— when o ur parent discards us what have we to ,

expect from mankind

Do you speak of the youth called Wal ter whose gall an t ,

Jubilee waits impatiently till his m aste r is at liber ty to b oot

”
and saddle ? He shall moun t him soon .

IVith al l humility your Highness no

,
I woul d speak ,

of Hugh Dalton and the Fire fl

y - .

O f his ship which may be at sea say you ?

, ,
’
Robin ventured one glance at C romwell s coun tenance ,

doubtless with the intention of ascertaining if he knew the

position of the vessel : but there was no expression on those
features that could lead to any conclusion and the Ranger ,

skilful ly evaded the question .

I t is in deed of Hugh Dalton I would speak continued ,

Robin and intreat in his behalf what I need mysel f y et

, , ,
”
as k n o t for a pardon .

”
Pardon ! repeated C romwell Pardon ,
on what
groun ds
Those o f mercy upon which your Highness has par
don e d many and please your Highness if I may make h ol d
, ,

to say s o thi s same man has some reas on however sm all to

,
, ,

o ffer The Jewess Zillah

.
 ‘
TH E B UCCANEE R! 3

A h what of her
Is in his kee ping, and a certain preacher al so f a worthy -

,
'

simple yet withal a keen man who m Sir Willmott B u rrell

, , , , ,

as I understand entrapped and shut up with famine as h is

, ,

only associate because he had become possessed of some

,

papers proving Sir W ill m ott s marriage with the Jewish ’

”
lady.

A nd Dalton
Saved this F lee tw or d !
Ah F lee tw ord
,
interrupted C romwell I have heard ,
”
o f his disappearance and he is safe ?
”
Perfectly .

I bless th e Lord for his unravelling ! But why comes

"

n ot th is man forth from his den ? Methinks if he have ,

rendered such service to the Jew who is our friend he has , ,

some claim to ou r consideration and might hope perh aps , ,

hope for pardon But if I j udge rightly he expected more

.
, ,

than pardon pardon for his ship also an d farther grace

, ,

towards himself ran it not thus

Please your Highness yes The man loves his sh ip , .
,

which is but natural and then his men

What ! the reeving ravenous set who have carried de
'

struction as their flag and filled the coast with desolation ;

,

aided and abetted i n plun der and brought over m al conten ts ,

from evil lands and scattered them like fl ax seed over the
,
-

country C ornwal l Devon E ssex Kent S u ssex

everywhere ; disturbed oursel v es so that by night as well ,

as day we lack repose and are forced to be our o w n watch

dog to th e great discomfort and danger o f ou r body and the
, ,

vexation of o u r soul ! Pardon for such as they ! Dalton we

might pardon we have reasons for i t but his ship
,
it shal l
burn upon the high seas as an example to all like i t and as
, ,

to his cre w why not a scoundrel could be found robbing a

,

hen roost w h o w ou l d not declare himself on e o f Hugh Dal

-

’ ”
ton s gang To sen d y ou too as hi s ambassador ! , ,
”
Please your Highness in terrupted Robin he did n ot
, ,

send me though he knew of my coming: The m an is watch

,
"
ing by the side of h is child .

W H is child said you I heard he had but one and that

, , ,

through some mystery the girl was here and , ,

“ ”
C romwell would have added shot but he re me mbered , ,

c c
3 86 THE B UCCAN E E R .

’
what Robin had su ffered at Hampton C ourt w hen Barbar a 8 ,

death was mentioned before him and though chafed at the , ,

picture he had himself dra w n o f the ravages of the Buccaneer ,

yet the kind feelings of h is nature prevente d his ope ning the
green wound i n the Ranger 3 heart N o matter what dis tin c .

tion rank makes between man and man N ature has insti tuted ,
t

a moral freemasonry by which all her children un derstand

,

the signals and symptoms of goodness and greatness in each

other s bo soms
’
Ro bin blessed h imfor his forbearance wi th
.

the fresh warm bl essing of an affectionate heart ; and the

’
ble ss ing ascend ed to the Almighty s throne although breathed ,

into no mortal ear it as cended n o t on the wings of the

-

wind for the wind heard i t not ; yet there it was and there it
, .
,

r em ains registe red in the book of li fe amongst the fe w but

, ,

holy o fferings which are p aid to th e mighty in secret by , ,

those who look to them for aid whose homage is generall y ,

of the lip n ot the heart

, .

A fter a pause more full of mean ing than if i t h ad been

,

crammed with words Robin said .

Please your Hi ghness the girl is not dead though badl y , ,

”
w ounded .

I thank God I thank God for every blessing Have .

ou so said to the L ady C onstantia ?

y
I did not like to men tion it yet as I did not know , ,
”
Right right interrupted C romwell not permitting him
, , ,

to finish the senten ce a silent tongu e is ever harmless and

, ,

wi th it th ere is safety But I must see Fl ee tw ord and the

.

”
Jewess forthwith : say unto Dalton that so I desire i t .

The Skipper h as secrets touching this family l n his kee p

ing which I have reason to think he w ill retain unless
Wily as he was Robin now paused for he dreaded to rouse
,

, ,
’
the Pr otector s ire an d C romwell seeing his hes i tation ex
, , ,

claimed ,

Speak ou — spe ak ou t young man — this fellow w ould ,

di ctate to u s — but speak speak I sa y what are h is gracious ,

terms
A lthough the last words were utter ed in an ironical tone ,

Robin did speak and boldly , .

Pardon for himself h is registered followers and safety

, ,

for h is ship ; I know such to be his feelings, and know h e

woul d so say .
3 88 TH E B U CCA N EE R .

that avenge ! The ship must n o t remain unpunished of her ,

j ustice s h a ll have its due Your Buccaneer shoul d thi nk of .

”
this and bless the God that has made us merciful
,
.

The F ire fl y to be towed in to C hatham and about an d

-
, ,
’
pointe d at by the cowardly land lubbers as Hugh Dal ton s -

fine vessel ! Twould kill him please your Highness i t would , ,

kill him He would no t take his life o n such terms

.

Let him lose it then Think ye that though y ou were , .

,

hones t there are not many who pant to discover the secrets of
,

that nest ? C ame I here for pas time ? The Lord he is

righteous and merciful The cavern and its wealth is ours . .

The goodness of the Lord is over all the ear th ; yet such is
the corr u ption of all things that we have no leisure for repose ,
’
much less pastime Men s p assions and evil propen sities de
.

vour us and fright comfort and o ften holy communing from

,

o u r pillow Go to then We have one who could lead u s

.
, .

blindfold through y our crag an d its chambers I f we find .

Dalton arm ed j ustice mus t take its course ; even I c ould not
,

save h i m then .

I t is little your gu ide would know what awaited him if ,

he did con duct the soldiers of your Highness replied Robin , ,

perhaps in a tone of momentary familiarity the result of his ,

long conference .

I t is enough said C romwell Though you have

,
.
’

denied that you were directed by him to see us on this matte r ,

e t you wil l n o t scruple to do ou r bidd ing I need n o t re peat

y .

within four hours from this time — the Jewess th e man , ,

of God D alton and his daughte r

,
secretly mark s ecr etly , ,

within this chamber D uring this period m y sol diers sleep ; .

but the vessel must not be unmoore d Remember if its anchor .

,

is weighed — or sl ipped
”
he added wi th that extraordinary , ,

penetration whi ch saw every possibility o f even equivoque ,

" ’

and guarded against it the Buccaneer s life is forfeit ,

.

Robin bowed wi th great submis sion but still lingered ,

.

Please your Highness, he do e s so love that vessel

You practise on ou r humanity youn g man and forget to , ,
”
whom you speak .

Robin bowed again more lowly than before and retreated

.

down th e room W hile closing the door he looked to where

.
,

the Protector sat C romwell observing the movem ent raised

.
, ,

h is h a n d an d pointed to the ti me pie ce w h o s e iron fi n gerz w as

.
,
'
-

,
'

fas t travelling round the dial .

 C H AF T E R ! II
'

So u p h e ar o s e upon h is stre tc h ed sa il s ,

Fe ar l es s e x p ec ti n g h is a pp ro a c h i n g d e ath
So u p h e a os e th at th e a r s tar ts a n d fa l s
r ,
i r ,

A n d o v e r p r es s e d s i n k s h i s l o d b e n ea t h
a

So u p h e a ros e as d oth a t h u n d e r c l o u d
,

W t h al l th e e ar th W i th s h ad ow s blac k d oth s h r ou d
S o u p h e aros e . PH I N E A S F L E TCH E R .

TH E Lord deliver me ! once m ore say I ej aculated Robin , ,

Hays ,
and the Lord deliver Dalton ! H e woul d sooner
submit to have his limbs hewed one by o ne from his body ,

than permit a single plank of his good ship to be touched : he

loves it far more than his own life I will not speak with him .

about it There is no po ssibility of a hundred of our m en if

.
,

we coul d summon the m fro m the di fferent stations encoun ter ,

ing the well di sciplined soldiers now upon the island N o

-
.

thing legal or illegal can withstand the power or turn aside the
wil l of that m ost wonderful man I t i s useless to commune .

more with Dalton but I will save him though I perish i n the ,

attempt l
’
I t may be almost said that he flew to the Gull s N est
'
‘

When there he turned with a s teal thy step towards the cham
,

ber whic h his mother occupied There was no living being .

in the room save one and she was busied i n composing the
,

limbs and features o f his dead parent chanting in a l o w m o , ,

n oton ou s tone fragments o f ol d songs and snatches of ballads

,

appropriate to th e gloomy task .

Robin clung to the door post However li ttle he might -

.

have res pected his mother he knew she had loved him and ,

it is sad i n a world where so few a ffectionate ties are formed

, ,

to see the nearest and the dearest severed He stood for a .

li ttle watching the slow movements of the ol d crone who was ,

s o withered and woe looking that with but slight e ffort of

-

imagination he might have believed the grave had given up

,

o n e dead to prepare another for the sepulchre The small .

lamp sent forth but li ttle ligh t and the features o f his mother , ,

not yet decently arranged had a sc ared and frightened look

, ,

as if terror at the onco m ing o f death had le ft her a powerless ,

,

though unwilling capti ve .

H as the spiri t long passed ! at l ength inquired Rob in ,

0 o 3
3 90 TH E B UCC A NEE R .

in a voice so low that th e aged woman started as if the whisper ,

sounded from below the e arth .

A nan Master Robin is i t you ? A h ! I littl e thought

, ,
’
you d ha been away ; not that I fancy she missed ye much
’

,
’
for she didn t make much struggle that is not to say much ,

at the very las t

l
A n d a t th e as t o u r be d s y h al l be ,
‘

A y , n ea r th e r o a and br b d i n y se a ! ’ to

She gave out the rhyme while smoothing back the hair from
the haggard features of th e corpse and her trembling treble
'
voice so weak so sh rill added a most miserable and desolating
, , ,

e ffect to the awful scene .

Do i t dece n tl y goo d dame de cently and gently too and

, , ,
”
y o u sh all be rewar d ed said Robin deeply a,
ffec ted aware , ,

how impossible it was for him to remain and see that every
thing was well or dered .

A y ay I warrant i t sh all all be done righ tly mas ter as

, , , ,

rightly as if she deck ed herself poor soul ! whi ch she was w el l ,

"
fond of in days long ago .

Robin tu rned tow ards the cli ff A s b e c ommenced the de .

scent the wail of th e corpse dresser fell u pon his ear with the
,
-

sighing of the w ind that was s traying am ongst th e m any

hollo w crags — the myste rious wind that co mes — when ce
we kno w not ; an d goes — where — w e cannot tell yet
moves al ong upon its appointed way — felt although unseen , ,

o n the vast earth and the wide sea now rej oicing o v er
pleasant fields and filling the leaves with harmony
,
kissing
in its gentleness the blushing bos o m of the rose and wafting ,

the humble bee o n i ts in dustr ious voyage —then stirring up

oceans by its breath and shoutin g to the clouds its man
,

dates Thou playfellow of thunder and m ate of th e fierce ,

l igh tm n g whether as a hurricane or a zephyr great source of ,

good and evil b ail to thee on thy way !

,

Robin stood on the smooth beach at th e bottom of the cli ffs ,

and taking in at on e glance all the obj ects within sigh t per
, ,

c e ive d that the government ships h a d certainly moved closer to

th e vesse l whose i denti ty had puzzled even him keen observer

, ,

though he was The night was dark but cl ear — n o haze no

.
,

moon — the clouds not heavy n or ligh t yet fe w stars m ade ,

their appearance : now and then as a shadow passe d on e , ,

woul d twinkle for a moment until obscu red by some ambitious ,

3 92 TH E B UCCA NEE R .

’
them that th ey sus pect ah now you ve finish ed pray
'

,
'

”
tell m e what the signal will be a red light ?
A red light repeated Robin musingly as he rolled up ,
”
the parchment ; oh yes ! it will be a very red l ight , .

'
But Bob won t that alar m the ships
, ,
”
N ever mind if it doe s replied R obin casting o ff his , ,

bo ots and throwing away all the loose portions of his dress
, ,

so as to stand only in his shirt and hose ; Give me your

"
bel t i t is broader than mine .

R ou pall did as he requeste d demanding in his turn if , , ,

Robin was mad enough to think of swimming to the Fire fl y -

.

” ’”
Yes w as the Ranger s concise reply
,
A nd n ow he .
,
“
added Jack remember the moment you see my signal
, , , ,

deliver this to the Skipper ; but as you value you r life not , ,
”
before .

He plunged into the ocean as he spoke ; and pres ently the ,

sound of the dividing waters w as lost in the distan ce .

Well ex claimed R ou pall that beats all the freaks I ,

W h y the vessel s near a

’
ever knew even Robin to be after ,

mile o ff ; and now I think of it I never asked him what we

, ,

were to do when he gave the signal but I suppose his paper

’
tells Lying about here in such peril But it s always the
'

.
,

way — the minu te a sailor touches land good by to his well ,

-

doing .

Before the speaker had climbed the topmost cli ff he met ,

the Buccaneer .

Hast seen R obin Hays ? was his first qu estion .

A y sir ; an d if it was day you might see him too — at

, , ,

least the best part o f him

, hi s head yonder making for ,

the Fire fl y -
.

“
How ! making for the Fire fl y ! What do ye mean -

,
”
Jack ? this is no time for j estin g ;
I mean C aptain that Robin Hays i s swimming to the
, ,

Fire fl y ; and that he told me to watch for a signal he would

-

make ; and
A nd w hat
Why he is to make a signal — a red light from the ship
, .

Red light from the ship repeated the Bucca neer in a ,

voice o f astonishment He h as lost h is senses ! What can

this mean Left he no mess age for me
N one replied R o u pal l ; thinking to himself
, a pie ce ,
o f parchment s no message so that s no lie
’ ’
.
,
 TH E B U CCANEE R . 3 93

Dalton paced to and fro on the small ledge that had been
beaten smooth by the step of many an illegal sentry in days
'

gone by : beneath h is feet l ay the subterraneous apartments

of the Gull s Nest ; and before h im ( although the night h ad
’

s o darkened that it w as no longer visible

) before him was h is ,

o w n vessel anchored A t any other time he would have felt

.

secure of refuge in the one resource or the other but circum

stances combined to convince h i m there was n ow no certain -

safety by sea or land A t one moment he though t of man .

,

ning his bo at and carrying his daugh ter boldly to the ship
, .

Had he been alone such would at once have been his

,

m ination but he could not expose much less leave her to

peril With the common blindness of those w h o argue only
.

on their own side o f the question he cou ld not see why the ,

Protector should obj ect to the preser v ation o f the Fire fl y ; -

’
and he had hoped for Robin s return with tidings that would
have made his child s heart as well as h is ow n leap with j oy
’

.
, ,

He knew that C romwell would make a large sacrifice to secure

the Jewess Zillah and he had also reasons to believe the
,

Protector suspected there were other secrets within h is keep

’
ing the nature of which he would gi v e much to learn Robin s
, .

m otive in thus visiting the Fire fl y was beyond his compre

,
-

h en sio n and he h ad n o alternative but to await the promised

,

signal wi th all the patience he could command A s he paced .

the ledge now with a slow now with a hurried footstep the
, ,

darkness in creased an d the stars twinkled less frequently :

,

there was n o storm — no fierce blast swept along the heavens ,

or disturbed the earth but dense heav clouds canopied the

y ,

the ocean as with a pal] R ou pall was se ated on a huge stone .

,

his elbows resting on his knees his eyes fixed on the mul ,
”
titu di n ou s sea silently and n ot less anxiously watching for
, , ,

the flash which he expected would disturb the dull an d sleepy

night E v er and anon the querulous voice o f the woman
.
, ,

keeping watch by the lifeless clay which she had laid in de ,

’
cen t order upon its humble pallet in the Gu ll s N est floated
'

, ,

over the cli ffs and died away on the bosom of the waters A t
,
.

times R ou pall would growl and fret as a chained m asti ff ;

,

but the anxiety o f the Skipper had so increased that he ceased ,

moving and stood on the bold brow of the crag like a black
, ,

monument of stone .

Suddenly a s trong li ght a fierce blaze as if the ocean had

, , ,

thrown up on e immense pyramid of fl ame, to dispel the dark

3 943 TH E B U CC A NE E R .

ness and divide the clouds sprang into the heavens and
'

then a pea] loud as the straggling thunder ! The cl i ff shook

,

beneath their fee t — the sea birds started fro m their nests and
-

fle w and scream ed and wheeled i n the air !

, ,
From behind
the di fferent points and crags along th e shor e r ushed forth th e
smugglers who had lain to watching the time when i t would
, ,

have been prudent for them to put o ff their boats and j oin the
ship as Dalto n had directed The old death dresser forsook
,
.
-

the corpse and stan ding on the highest crag h er long hair
, ,

floating backwards on the breeze her arms tossing from the ,

e ffects of terror and astonishment looked like the sybil whose ,

spells and orgies have di stracted nature by some terrible con

vu l s ion .The cli ffs and strand at th e m oment formed a pic
tu re that Salvator would have gloried in conveying to h is
canvass the line of coast now rising boldly from the ocean ,

each projecting point catching the glaring blaze and seeming ,

i tself on fire the caverns overhung by creeping plants revel ,

ling in gorgeous colours from every changing light that

touched their beau ties — then the wild figures clasping by
the rocks pantin g with terror and excitement — the sibyl
,

on her pinnacle — the gigantic frame o f R ou all ren dered

p ,

still more gigantic to the eye by the position in which he

stood breathless with the writte n parchment in his hand
, , ,
’
yet unable to move or direct Dalton s atte ntion to it The .

Skipper still like a monument of stone but called to an i m a

, ,

tion by astonishment and dismay while the light played wi th ,

the grace and brilliancy o f lightning on the bright mountings of

his pistols Still the flames towered brightly to the heavens
.
,

while each fresh explo sion separate d their conden sed e ffect ,

and sent a portion o f them higher in the clouds or hissing ,

over the variegated and sparkling sea which rolled to the ,

shore in m asses of glowing fire .

Read read at length exclaimed R ou pall thrusti ng the ,

parchment into the hand of the Buccaneer Read read .

he repeated for Dalton heeded him not

, .

”
Read what ? said the Skipper in a voice which entered the ,

heart of all who he ard it do I not read do I not read

black bitter burning treachery
, ,
I t is my ow n ship — 1
know every spar that fl its li ke a meteor through the air My .

heart was never crushed till now .

Read I will read it, if I can said Spr in gal l w h o h ad , ,

3 96 B U CCANE E R
'
’
. TH E .

stoo d a harmless unresisting man, subdued by a lo ok and over

powered by a touch .

Barbara never was a girl of energy or a seeker after power ,

.

’
She considered obedience as woman s chief duty duty as a
child to the parent as a wi fe to the husband and perhaps , ,

such was her timid ity had there been time to deliberate she
, ,
’
would have trembled at the bare idea of opposing her father s
will though she woul d have mourned to the end o f her days
,

the result of his madness but she acted from the impul se of
the momen t Nothing could be more touching than the sight
.

of her wo r n and almost transparent fi gh r e hanging on her ,

’
father s dark a nd musc u l ar form like a frail snow wreath on ,
-

some bleak mountain .

Robin whose resentments were as fierce as his fidelity w as

,

strong felt in all the bitterness of his nature the indigni ty the
,

B u ccaneer had put upon h im and stood panting to avenge the ,

insult and inj ustice yet withheld from either word or deed by
,

the presence of Barbara who rem ained in the same attitude , ,

clinging to her father unable from weakn ess either to with, , ,

draw or to stand without assistance .

Spr in gall who did not love her so much as to prevent h is

,

being useful was the first to regain his self possession he

,
-

brought in his cap some water that was trickl ing down the
rock and threw it on her pallid brow
, while Z i llah chafed
her hands and endeavoured to separate her fro m her father
,
.

A t las t she spoke and though her voice was feeble as the cry
, ,

o f infancy the Buccaneer heard it and withdrew his gaze

, ,

fro m the remains of his burning vessel to look on the living

feat ures of his child .

Father ! you frighten me by those wild pass i ons — and

this wild place let us go from i t an d be at peace poor Robin ,

i s your true friend father B e friends with him

, . .

Y ou speak as a woman a young w eak woman Barbara , , ,

replied the Skipper evincing his return ing interest in present

,

obj ects by pas sing his arm round his daughter so as to sup ,
“
port her o u his bosom Look out girl and say what you .
, ,

see.

Father huge masses o f burning wood floating over th e

, ,
”
ocean and borne to other shores by the rising breeze
, .

A nd know you what that burning wood was scarce a

m i nute since P
Father
 TH E B UCCANEE R .
97
r
Th ose bl azin g masses were once the Fire -
fl y— m y own
ship my o w n ship
“
1
A nd Robin
Has been the means of its destruction .

Has he ? B arbara paused after sh e had s o exclaimed ,

and then clasping her han ds raised them upwards as she con
, ,
“
tin n ed , a blessing a thousand blessings on him ! for what
,

he does i s ever goo d and full of wisdom A h ! n ow I s e e

, .

i t all : he destroyed the bad vessel that you dear father might , ,

no more to sea but stay on shore with us with m e I would ,

have said sh e added hiding as she S poke her face on h er , , ,

’
father s shoul der .

Five or s ix of the crew h ad clambered up the cli ff; and

clustered round their Skipper R ou pall Springall and the .
, ,

Jewess were close to Barbara and Robi n stood exactly on the ,

’
spot where Dalton s rage had left him on e foot on the edge

o f the crumbl ing cli ff his long arms enwreathing his chest
, .

The red glare had faded from th e waters the sea birds ,
-

were settling in their nests but the government ships were ,

-

alive with lights and suddenly bursting through the night

, , ,

came the shrill blast of a trumpet from C ecil Place I t called .

Robin Hays into activity and while the men were looking on , ,

each other he advanced and spoke

, .

Hugh Dalton the ship was yours and yours alone and
, , ,

to you the parchment which Spr in gall holds accounts for its
destruction ; that destruction C ap tain ought to prove on e , , ,

thing and on e thing only

, that I loved you better than the
Fire fl y Both could not have been preserved You have
-
. .

treated m e as a dog to whom y ou would have given a dog s

,
’

de ath an d I shall not forget i t .

Robin exclaimed a small soft voice .

”
I cannot forget it repeated the Ranger ; and then the,
”
voice again said “ Robin in a tone of such sweetness th at
, , ,

all presen t were moved A fter another pause , hardy Jack .

R ou pal l put in his word .

The Skipper was hurt and n o marvel to see her burning , , .

Y ou mustn t be spi teful Robin Hays

’
only what hindered
, ,

to get her ou t
“
She was known marked and watched as I am well as
, , , .

”
sured o f he replied
, Had y ou attemp ted to weigh an chor
.
,

e very man on board would have been blown to atoms N ot a .

f he me n w h o had charge of
li e wou l d have been spared T
'
» ,
3 98 TH E B UCCAN E ER .

her are sa fe I sent them to the E ssex side

. though th ey
"
little thought why .

Another tru m pe t blas t mounte d wi th the breeze , and Robi n

.

exclaimed ,
“ A way away l ads I t is not yet midnight and no
, , ,

hindran ce will be ofiered to any w h o quit the is land be fore the

ho u r of one A way away Ye are foxes and ha v e earths in
.
, ,

plenty A way for your lives away

.
,

A way repli ed Ro upall W hither good Ranger ? .

,

Heard ye not the trumpet and know ye n ot that every outlet ,

”
wi ll be gua r ded every man on the watch after such a sou nd ?
,

Had your safety not been cared for there need have bee n ,

no trumpet blast I pledge my faith — m y life — for your

- .

security exclaimed Robin ene rgeti cally

, O nly away and , .
,

qui ckly .

O ne or two of the men s ullenly and quietly dropped down

the cli ff ; but the re were others who wo uld not thus part fro m
their captain sailors who h ad brav ed danger disease and
, , , ,

death i n his company these would not leave him now but , ,

as if in expectation of an attack they looked to their pistols ,

and jerked their daggers sharply in their sheaths Dalton still .

remained uncertain perhaps or ca reless as to h is future course

, , , ,

with Barbara still hanging on h is arm wh il e the J e we ss clun g ,

closely to her si de .

Sprin gall said Robin y ou have influen ce with him ,

.

U se it for his good : his pardon is secured if he complies with

”
the terms I h ave mention ed .

”
Great tidings glad tidings ! exclaimed a hoar se voice a
li ttle above them The Philistines will be overthrown and
.
,

the men of Judah triumph ! I h aVe heard in my soli tude yea ,

in my extremity tidings of exceeding gladness : and albeit

, ,

not of quick hearing the tramp o f Joshua and his ar my hath ,

come upon mine ear O h ye C anaani tes ! ye dwell ers in the

.
,

accursed land
Fetch him down shouted R ou pall .

For your lives tou ch him n ot but to your earths ex ,

“ ’
claimed Robin impetuo usly The Gull s Nest will be no .

” d
place of safety now Then springi ng on Dal ton he snatche
.
, ,

the pistols from his be lt and flung them into the sea .

He had hardly done so when sp ears and helmets glittered ,

in the faint starlight on the higher cli ff I t was no time for .

deliberation Rou pall and the others slunk silen tly an d sor
. q
 MM
TH E B UCCANEE R .

C H A PT E R XI I I .

W ee p no gh n o r g oa n
m or e , n or s i r ,
S r w ca l l n ti m e th t s gon
or o s o a
'
e.
V i l et pl c k d t h e w ee te t r i n
o s u
’
,
s s a
k es n t f es h n g w g i
a o r or ro a a n.
T im th l oc k s l oo k c h ee r f lly ;
r
y , u
F te s h 1dd e n n d yes c n t see
’
a e s e a no .

J y as w m g ed d e m fl y fas t
o s, r a s,
W h y s h u l d sad ness l o n g l as t
o er
G ri f is b t a w o u n d t w e :
e u o
Ge n tl es t fa i r ! m o u rn m o rn n o m e , u .

BE A U O NT F r s rc n a a
'

Ir was with feelings o f considerable anxiety that the Protector

waited the return of C olonel Jones from the second task as
signed h im in the I sle o f Sh e pe y .

The routing ou t o f a band of lawless smugglers although ,

commanded by s o daring as kippe r as H u gh Dalton w as to h im ,

a matter of little consideration compared to the res toration of ,

Zillah Ben Israel and the positive saving of C onsta ntia C ecil
,

from worse than death : these two motives weighed deeply

’
upon C romwell s mind and he would have made any sacrifice
,

to have been assured that his purpose with regard to both , ,

might be e ffecte d before the morning s dawn When the ex ’

.

plosion of the Fire fl y distur bed his solitude in the purple

-

cham ber at C ecil Place he direc ted immediate inquiry to be

,

instituted as to its origin and q uickly ascertained that it w as

,

caused by the destruction of some ship at sea his suspicions

were at once directed to the vessel of the Buccaneer .

There w as no time to lose ; C olonel Jones whose courage ,

and coolness were proverbial amongst soldiers more celebrated

for these quali ties than even Bri tish sol di ers have ever been
’
before or since was instantly di spatched to the Gu ll s Nest
,
.

A t first th e command of the Protector was to mount

s ilently but his pledge to Robin Hays was remembere d and , ,

at the very moment when the glare of the burning ship w as

illumining the island he could not bring himself to de te r mine
,
,

that the li ttle deformed being with whom he had held com ,

mune had betr ayed th e confidence reposed in him

, .

Let him know who are coming and prepare for i t :

thought C romwell whose caution was really subservient to

,

~
his enthusiasm powerful as was at all times this latter quality
,

and then he gave in a l ow, but earnest and energetic tone th e

, ,
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 401

order ,Sound a brie f to hors e ! trust in the Lord and see ,

that your swords be loose in their scabbards .

The tr00p on i ts return was met by C romwell himself at

, ,

the gate to wh i ch we have so frequently alluded Hi s anxiety .

‘
had not bee n often greater than on that occasion and it w as ,

manifested by an impatience of manner that almost terrified

the attendants who waited in his prese nce He was a c c om .

an ie d by only tw o o ffi cers an d his first question was i f

p ,

C olonel Jones had secured Dalton and the Jewess ? A

reply i n the a ffirmative evidently a fforded him great relief and
'

sati s faction but the feeling was quickly suc cee ded by on e o f
ex t reme anger when informed o f the total destruction of the
Fire fl y which he had desired to preserve for his o w n special
-

purpose Yet until the prisoners had been co n ducted into

.
,

C ecil Place by the private entrance as he had previously ar ,

range d his displeasure only foun d ven t in occasional exclam

,

a tion s The house was alive with alarm and curiosity but i ts
.
,

inmates recei v ed li ttle information to quiet or to satisfy their

eager thirst for intelligence A s the soldiers passed the gates
.
,

lights floated thro u gh the dwelling and the win dows were ,

crowded w ith inquisitive countenances ; great therefore w as , ,

the disappointment when they observed the party separate and ,

on e portion o f it take a private path leading to the Pro ,

’
te c tor s apartments while the other proceeded round an angl e
,

o f the building to th e s tables Many of the domestics m e t

.

them at the stable gates but could learn nothing from those
,

tr u sty soldiers w h o perfectly understood and invariably acte d

, ,
’
upon their master s favourite motto
“

, safety i n silence ,

still they could not rest no o ne went to bed for al l were in

, ,

expectation of they kne w not what .

The clock s truck one about five minute s afterwards C rom

well had closed the door of his chamber the half hour chimed -
.

C onstance was looking on her father sleeping calmly in h is ,

chair in a close t that ope ned into h is favouri te library H e

, .

had not been in bed for se v eral nights and since h is a fflicting , ,

i nsani ty could seldo m be prevailed o n to enter his o w n room

, .

A fter pausing a fe w m in u te s w h ile her lips appeared to move

,
’

w i th the prayer h er heart so ferven tly formed she undid the ,

bolt quietly opened the door then partially closed it and left
, , ,

her wretched parent alone with his physician .

She could hear Within the library in which she n o w stood ,

-

D D
402 TH E B U CCAN E E R .

the hea v y breathings of the a fflicte d man A large lam p was .

burning on the m assive o ak table : it shed a cheerful light -

,

but it was a light to o cheerfu l for her troubled an d feverish

s pirit — she san k upon a huge carved chair and passed her ,

small ban d t wice or thri ce over her brow where heavy drops ,

had gathered then drew towards her the large Bible that had
been h e r mother s On the first pag e in the hand writing of
’
.
,
-

that belo v ed mo ther was registered the day o f her marriage

, ,

and un derneath the births of her several chil dren with a short ,

and thanksgiving prayer affixed to each ; a little lower down

’
came a mournful regis ter the dates and manner of her sons ,

deaths but the C hri stian spiri t that had ta ught her words and
prayers of grati tude had been with h e r in the time o f trouble
,

the pas s ages were penned in true humility and humble minded -

ness though th e bliste ri ngs of many tears remained upon the

,

paper .

M
l on s ta n ti a turned over the lea ves more carelessly than was
her custom but her eye dwelt upon on e of the be autiful pro
mises given with so m u ch natural poetry by the great Psalmist
, ,

I have been young and now am old yet saw I never the , ,

righteo u s forsaken nor his seed begging their bread

, Alas .

she thought I can derive only half consolation from such

,

as this O ne of m y paren ts was indeed righteous but alas

.
,
”
what has the o ther been ? She bowed her head upon th e
book and did not again raise it u ntil a soft hand touched h e r
, ,

shoulder an d a light voice whispered

, C onsta nce !
I t was Lady Frances C romwell .

’
My dear C onstantia ! here s a situation I never knew
any thing so provo k ing so tantalising y f ath e r they
, say '

, ,

has taken as many as twenty prisoners of on e sort o r another ,

and h as caged them up in that purple room with himself ex -

,

a m in in
g into an d searc h ing ou t every secret secrets I wan t
”
so much to know He h as got the Buccaneer they say
.
,
.

”
Who says so P inqu ired C onstance eagerly .

Why everybody Maud says so A nd I have been to

, . .

the door at least ten times ; but even the key hole I verily -

believe is plugge d I am s u re i t is for I tried har d to see

, .
,
"
through it .

The crisis of my fate i s indeed come murmured Co n ,

stantia Then after a pause she was about to address her

.
, ,

friend : My dear Lady Frances

404 TH E B UCCANE ER .

'

friend is aged but he is welcome ; and we have n e w s th at

,
”
will gladden h is heart I n an instant all trace o f the ser
.

vility which custom had imposed upon the manners o f the

chil dren of Israel vanished The Rabbi stood upright and .
,

clasping his hands together exclaimed My child ! m y, ,

child
The lost sheep is found — blessed be th e Lord ! safe -

here within this house

,
and I lay my comman ds upon her
father that sh e be received as a stray lamb from the fol d and ,

warmed within his bosom IVe have al l children g ood .

,

Rabbi ; and the Lord judge between us and them they are ,

sti ffnecked and stubborn A ll more or less all except , ,

on e or two w h o shine forth as bright examples — such is my

”
o w n E lizabeth and such also is Mistress C onstantia here
, .

She is found repeated the Jew but they talked o f

crime o f h e r having
- I cannot speak it plea se your ,

Highness but you kno w what I would say Peradventure

, .

gold migh t be m ade to atone .

Peace good friend

,
interru pte d O liver sternly jus
’
tice must have its due and by God s blessing while we are , ,

Protector all the gold your tribe is worth shall n ot turn the
,
’
scale ! We would be merciful for mercy s sake but for j us
'
tice Yet pardon me he added in compassion to the Rabbi s
,

horror ,
I would n ot trifle with a father s feelings she is ’

guiltless of mur der .

He struck the table with the butt end o f his pistol — a -

private door of th e library opened as of itself n o t one but ,

two fe m ales s tood beneath its shadow each supporting each , ,

as if the on e weak creature thou gh t she could lend a portio n

o f much needed strength to the other Lady Frances and .

C onstan tia spra n g from their s e ats — all distinction of rank

was forgotten and Mistress C ecil wept over her a ffectionate
,

bowe r maiden as an el der over a younger sister or eve n as a

-

, ,

mother o ver a beloved child She asked no q u estions but .

,

kissed her bro w and wept ; while Barbara s tood curtseying ,

and smili n g and crying and gl ancing wi th evident s atis fac

, ,

tion a m id her t ears to w ards her father and Robin as i f she

, , ,

would have sa id See h o w m y lady m y grand lady loves me !

, , ,

I t did not escape the observation of Lady Frances that

Barbara wore the chai n she had given her and she most ,

heart il y wished her father at IVh iteh all or el sewhere, tha t she ,
 TH E B UCCANE E R . 405

might hav e an opportunity o f asking all the q uestions at on ce

suggested by her b u sy brain .

I t is impossible to conve y an adequate idea of the meeting

between the Jew and his daughter I t was with feelings o f .

terror m ore than o f a ffection that Zillah prepared to encounter

, ,

a j ustly o ffended parent She had heard and believed that

.

crime such as h ers marry ing or intriguing with C hristians

was pu nished by a lingering and cruel death an d scarcely
could the word o f C romwell pledged twice for her safety con , ,

vi nce her that such would not be her fate She instantly .

’
prostrated hersel f at the Rabbi s feet and i t would seem that ,

as s u red of his daughter s life — assured o f her sa fety under

’ ‘

laws British laws — his eastern notions with regard to the

submission due from woman to her master man ret u rned to , ,

h im in ful l force for he su ffered her to remain her forehead ,

resting o n the ground and her hands clasped around it

, ,

although he was so deeply agitated that he clung to a pedestal

’

for support .

The Protector arose from his seat and advancing kindly , , ,

and tenderly raised the poor victi m of c on fidin g but too

'

violent passion and placed her leaning on her father s shoulder

, .

”
Manasseh ! he said at times o u r speech is obscure
, ,

and men see through it da rkly We hope i t will not be so .

110W . Your daughter is no harlot but a wed ded woman who ,

will soon become a mother and in virtue o f her husba n d an d

, ,

her child is a subj ect of ou r o w n We re gret the violence of

,
.

which she has been guilty but Satan is ever busy in his w ork
,

o f temptation If y ou cast her from y ou we take her to ou r

.
,

selves ; as our blessed Lord would have received the prodigal

the sinful but repentant son
,
eve n so will we r eceive her .

Poor pro dig al he added after waiting for a reply fro m the
, ,

Rabbi whi c h came not for the feeli n gs of the tribe were
, ,

s truggling with those o f th e father Poor prodigal ! we

w ill n o t desert thee in thy hour of trial — but seek to preserve
thee from worse crimes than eve n those o f which tho u hast
”
been guilty .

Although C romwell had placed Zillah resting on the

shoulder of her father he made no e ffort to suppo r t or keep
,

h er there and the Protector was in the act of leading her

,

towards his daughter when Ben Israel raised a great cry for
, ,

the father h ad triumphed over the Jew and snatching her to ,

D D 3
406 TH E B U CCAN E E R .

his bos om he burst into a ferve n t but almost inaudible prayer

,

o f thanks giving and gratitude that ente red the hear ts of those ,

who heard it and witnessed the terrible strength o f his emo

,

tions . The Lady C onstance was su ffering from various

caus es the nature of which fro m past eve nts may be more , ,

ea sily imagined than described N or were those sufferings .

either terminated or relieved when on C romwell s striking , ,

the table again in the same manner as be fore Sir Will mott ,

Burrell stood in the apartment .

His en trance caused a sensatio n o f as tonishment and con

fu sion through the whole group C onstantia C ec il u n con .

sc iou sl move d her seat nearer to that o f the Protector A n

y .

expre s sion o f satisfac tion crossed the anxious and feverish

brow of Robin Hays Dalton folded his arms across h is .

bosom and advan ced his right foot as if s trengthening h is

, ,

position Preacher F l e e tw o r d w h o h ad hitherto leaned ag ainst

.
,

a high backed chair his eyes glaring fro m their sockets on

-

,
“ ” ’
the coun tenance of the Lord s anoin ted and drinking in , ,

wit h Open ear and mouth e v ery word he uttered — n o w ,

shrank into the farthest portion o f th e room skilfull y keeping ,

a chair in the direction of Burrell as a sort of fortification ,

against violence or evil while he muttered sentences of no ,

gentle or com plimen tary na ture whi ch but fo r the augu st , ,

presence in which he stood would ha v e burst forth in ana ,

’
themas agai n st the wolf i n sheep s clothing by which title ,

he never failed in after years to designate the trai tor The .

J e w trembled an d partly rose from his seat ; while Zillah

, ,

whose love h ad turned to hate whose a ffection had become -

as wormwood stood erect as he ad v anced with a pale but ,

fi rm look Prepared to assert her rights to the last she was

.
,

the v ery model of a determined woman who having be e n , ,

greatly wronged resolves to be greatly avenged ,

I f her lip .

quivered i t was evidently from eagerness not from in de ci

, ,

sion and her eye h ad the lightning of hell not of heaven in , ,

i ts glance Barbara crouched at the feet o f her mistress and

.

Lady Frances to whom something new was synonymous wi th

,

something delightful was tip toe with expectation She be

,
-
.

l iev e d from what her father had hin ted that C onstantia w as
, ,

fr ee an d might wed whom she pleased : this imparted an

,

hilarity to her coun tenance and manner totally di fferen t from ,

the aspect of all others within that room Burrell himse l f .

408 TH E B UCCANE E R .

to it ,
taking on herself the penalty to which her bre ach of
contract must of necessity lead .

All eyes were n o w turned to C onstantia who sat l abouring ,

for breath an d struggling with an agony to which i t almost

,

seemed her life would yield .

We have ourse l ves provided for the Lady C onsta ntia a

fi tting mate good Master o f Burrell replied the Protector ;
, ,
“
think ye that the fairest o f ou r land are to be thrown to the
dogs ? A gain he struck h is pistol upon the oak table and ,

after a breathless silence during which Burrell never rem oved

,

h is eyes from C onstantia — ( Lady Franc e s afterwards sa id

she noted they had all the evil expression of th ose of the
hoo ded snake when preparing to dart upon its prey )— the
,
'

v illain contrived to mo v e more closely towards his victim ,

whose misery was but faintly painted on her blanched chee k .

“ ” “
A little time sh e murmured ; a lit tle time to deli
,

berate .

“
Not a moment not a momen t he replied ; and re ,
»

member
The words had hardly passe d from be tween h is closed lips ,
’

when Walter de Guerre was ushered in and Burrell s bro w ,

flushed on e deep hue of c rimson A m u rmur o f congratula .

tion escaped from several of the party ; the Protector t urn ed

towards C onstantia wi th the look and m an ner of o n e who has
pl anned what he believes will be a j oyful surprise — to be
gratefu lly received and appreciated as such instead of behold
ing her face beaming with love and hope he saw that eve r y ,

fibre of her frame became rigid and she endeavoured to bury

her face in her hands .

Mistress C ecil seems to approve our ch oiw no better th an

’ ”
her father s he said after a pause of intense anxiety to all
, ,

present : We would have ta u ght this youth what is du e to

ours elf an d ou r C ommonwealth by th e gentles t means within ,

ou r power Methinks women are all alike

.
,
.

Father she is dying exclaimed the easily alarmed -

Lady Frances .

O ne moment and I shall be well said C onstantia : an d

, ,

then she added ,

“
Sir Willmott Burrell y ou pant for vengeance and now , ,

you may ha v e it Believi n g th a t lady in th e sight of God

.
, ,

to be y our wife I cannot wr ong her

,
though I would have
 TH E B UCCANEER . 409

sacrificed myself to to She was prevented fro m

’
finishing her sentence by the Protector s exclaiming with th e
energy and warmth Of his natural charac ter ,

We knew it and n ow let me present your bridegroom .

”
Frances it was excess o f j oy that caused this agitation
, .

C onstantia interru pted him .

N ot so your Highness A las God knows not s o But

'

. .
, ,

while I say that the evil contract shall never be fu l fi ll ed

though I w ill never become the wife Of Sir Willmott B u rrell ,

I also say that the wife Of Walter de Guerre I can never be .

N ay more an d I spe ak patiently calmly — rather would I

, ,

lay my breaking heart ere it is all broken beneath the waves

, ,

that lash our shore than let on e solitary word escape me which
, ,

might lead you to imagine that even the commands o f your

”
Highness could mould my dreadful destiny to any other shape .

’
The re was no m istaking the expres sion Of the Protector s
countenance i t was that Of severe displ easure for he could
ill brook at any period to have his wishes Opposed and h is
, ,

designs thwarted Wh ile C onstan ce was rising from her seat

.
,

Sir Willmott Burrell grasped her arm with fien dish v iolence ,

an d extending his other h and towards th e door leading to th e

closet where s h e had left her sleeping father he exclaimed

, ,

Then I accuse Openly i n the face Of the Protector and ,

this company Robert C ecil who s tands the r e Of the m u rder

, , ,

Of his brother Herbert and Of the m u rder Of Sir H erbert ,

’

C ecil s son and I assert th a t Hugh Dalton was accessory to

the same
’
A shriek so wild and piercing issued from C onstantia s lip s
th at i t ra n g over the house and terrified all its inmates who ,

crowded to the portal the boundary Of which they dared n ot

,

pass.

It was little to be wondered that she did shriek Turni n g .

towa r d the spot at which th e villain point ed the Protector saw ,

the half demented Baronet standing in the door way He had

- -
.

Opened the cl oset and come forth during th e momentary ah

,

sence Of hi s attendant an d n o w s tood m oping and bowing to

,

the assembly i n a way that would have moved the pity Of a

heart Of stone .

Fien d shouted the Protector grasping in h is great ,

anger the throat Of Sir Willmott and shaking him as he had ,

’
been a reed tis a false lie He is no murde rer and if
410 TH E BU OC A N E E R .

h e h ad be en is i t before hi s daughter that ye would speak it

,

Hah I s ee it all now S u ch is the threat —the lie

. that
”
gave you po w er over this excellence He threw the r u ffi an .

from h im with a perfect majesty Of resentment Gross as was .

the deed the Protector condes c ending to throttle such as Bur

,

rell the manner Of the act was great : it was that Of an aveng
,

ing angel not Of an angry or irn pe tu ou s man

, .

Sir Willmott regained his se l f possession although with -

feelings of wounde d pride and indignation fixing h is eye upon

C onstantia with if possible increasing malignity h e s poke
, , ,

His Highness much honours h is subj ect ; but Mistress

C ecil hers elf k nows that what I have spoken is true — s o d oes
her father — and so does also this m an 1Is it not true I ask ?
”
,

N O I say it is false false as hell answered the Buc

“ ”
can e er and i f his Highness permi ts I will explain ,
.

You sa y what inquired C onsta ntia her whole coun ,

te n an c e and fi gure dilating with that hope which had so l ong

been a stranger to her bosom .

I say that Rober t C ecil is no murderer ! S tand forth ,

Wal ter C ecil and sta te that within the two last years you saw
, ,

your father m a Spanish monastery and that

”
t o 1s Walte r C ecil ? inquired Burrell struggling as a ,

drowning man while losing h is l ast h Ope of sal v ation

, .

I am W A L T E R C E C I L
'

exclaimed ou r Ol d acquain tance

Walter ; my nom do g ue r r e is no longer necessary .

I t needed n o t th a t on e shou ld come from the dead to tell

”
“
u s that , said the Protector impatiently but there are for
,

mer passages we would ha v e explained What means the .

villain by hi s charge ? Speak Dal ton and unravel u s th is , ,

mystery .

“
I t is well known to your Highness that fe w loved the ,

former po w ers more than Sir Her bert C ecil ; and truth to sa y ,

he was wild and daring and bad

, ,

Dalton ! excla imed the young m an in an upbraiding tone ,

.

Well young master I will say no more about it Gold

, ,
.

is a great tempter as your Highness knows ; and it tempted

,

yonder gen tleman with whom God has dealt He is a di fferent

,
.

si ght to look upon now to what he was the morning he sought

,

m e to commit a c r i me which well for m y Own sake an d the

, ,
,

s ake Of others I did not commit He came to me

, .

Mercy ! mercy ! I cl aim your Highness mercy ! sai d

’
412 TH E B UCC A N E E R .

spiri t was subdued wi th i n th e banished man he w as bOVVed

and broken and cared nothing for libert y but took entirely to
, ,

religion and became a monk ; and his son there h as s ee n h im

, , ,

m any a time ; an d it comfor ted me to find that he died in the

belief that God would turn all things right a gain and that h is ,

child would yet be master Of C ecil Place He died like a good .

C hristian forgiving his enemies and saying that ad versi ty h ad

, ,

brought his soul to God — more fond Of bla ming him self than
others A s to Walter he h ad a desire to v isit this country
.
, ,

a n d to own the truth

,
I knew that if Sir Robert failed to pro
,

cure the pardon I wan ted the resurrection of this youth woul d
,

be an argument he could not withstand .

“
Perhaps I was wrong in the means I adopted ; but I
longed for an hones t name and it occ u rr e d to me that Sir ,

Robert C ecil could be frightene d if not persuaded into pro , ,

curing my pardon God is my judge that I was weary Of my

.

reckless h abits and pan ted fo r active but legal employment A

, .

blasted Oak will tumble to the earth if struck by a thunder ,

bolt,
like a withy Then m y child ! I knew that Lady
-
.

C ecil cared for her though good lady she little though t when
, , , ,

sh e fi rSt sa w the poor baby that it was the child Of a Buccaneer

,
.

She beli eved i t the O ffspring Of a p ains taking trader w h o had -

,

served her husband She g u essed the truth i n part afterwards

.
,

but had both piety and pity in her bosom and did not make ,
’
the da u gh ter su ffer fo r the father s sin I loved the girl .

But y our Highness is yourself a father and would not like to ,

feel ashamed to look your own child i n the face I threatened .

Sir Robert to make known all and expose th ese docu

ments
The Skipper drew from his vest the same bundle Of papers
w hic h he had used in that roo m almost o n that v ery sp o t to , ,

terrify the stricken Baronet a few months before Sir Robert ,

.

C ecil had remained totally unconscious Of the explanations

that had been ma de and seemed neither to know Of nor to
, ,

heed the presence Of Dalton nor the important c om m u n ic a

, ,

tion he had given — his eyes wandering from countenance to

countenance Of the assembled group a weak foolish smile , ,

resting p er petually on his lip ; yet the instant he caught a

glimpse of the packet the Buccaneer held i n his h and h is me ,

mory returned : he staggered from his daughter who after ,

her appeal to C romwell clung to her father s side as if h er oi

,
’

,
 TE E B UCCANE E R . 13

cally resolved to shar e his disgrace to the last — and grasped

at the papers .

" '

t a t need of keepi n g them ? said the Protector much ,

”
a ffected at the scene : give them to him give th em to him , .

Dalton obeyed and Si r Robert clutched them wi th the

,

avidity Of a m aniac : he stared at them enwreathed as they ,

were by his thin emaciated fingers and then bursting into a

, , ,

mad fi t Of exulting laughter fe ll prost i ate on the floor be fore , ,

any on e h ad suffi ciently recovered from the astonishmen t his

renewed strength had occasioned to a fford h im any assistance , .

He was immediately raised by C onstantia and h is attendants ,

and conveyed to his o w n apartment still hol ding fast the ,

papers though h e gave little other sign Of li fe There was

,
.

another besides his daughter who followed the stricken man

, ,

his nephew Walter .

I t is ill talking Of ma rriage said C romwell as th e y oung , ,

m an paused and requested permission to leave th e room

, ,

It i s ill talking Of marriage when Death stands at the thresh

ol d but I have little doubt y ou will be able to Obtain the hand
which I could not dispose Of When I first saw y ou I ex .
,

pe c te d to see a di fferent person a director Of spies a chief

o f discord — a master n o t a servant Walter C ecil altho u gh a
,
.
,

bold C avalier would hardly have had power to dra w m e to the

,

I s le Of Sh e pe y h a d he not on board the Fire fl y chosen to

, ,
-

embrown his face and carry black ringlets over his ow n ; a

,

trick perchance to set the Protector on a wron g scent N ever

, , .

hang y er head at it young man — such things have been

’

from the beginning and will be to the end Meth inks that
, .

Old oaks stand friends with the party ; —but I quarrel not
with the tree — i f i t shielded the worthless C harles at W or
oester , i t revealed the true Walter at Queenborough Yet I .

thank G od on every accoun t tha t I was led to believe you one

whose blood I would fain not shed but would rather protect ,

i f that he has the wisdom not to trouble ou r country I thank .

God that I was bro u ght here to unravel and w ind up A .

ruler should be in deed a m ortal ( we speak it humbly ) omni

presen t ! A s to yonder man devil I should rather call h im
— h e has I sup pose no farther threats o r terrors to win a
, ,
’

lady s love Sir Willmott Burrell we will at least have the

.
,

ceremony of your m arriage repeated wi thout delay : —here is

m y friend s daughter — this night
’
4 14 TE E B UOOA N E E R .

”
N ot to night interrupted Zillah
-
,
to morrow and not -
,

to night I can bear n o m ore to nig ht

- -
.

Sir W ill m o t Burrell ”

sa id Dalton walking to where he
, ,

stood beaten down and trampled yet full Of poison as an

, ,

adder s tooth ’

be i t known that I pity y ou

,
your dagger
has been turned into your Ow n h ear t l — The human fles h
you bribed me to destroy lives ! What mess age b rought ,

J er om io from th e ocean
Dalton was proceeding in a strain that wou ld have quickly
goaded Burrell to some desperate act ; for as the Buccan ee r ,

w e n t on he was lashing his passion wi th a r e pe titio n Of the i n

‘

j uries and baseness of his adversary as a lion lashes himself w ith ,

his tail to stimulate his bravery but the Protector demanded

if H u gh Dalton knew before whom he stood and dared to brawl ,

in such presence S ilen ced but not subdued he retreated and

.
, , ,

contented himself with secret execrations on his enemy .

We ha v e rendered some j us tice to night said C romwell -

, ,

after striding once or twi ce the len gth Of the apartment Yet .

is our task not finished although th e morning watch is come

,
.

Wi thout there ! Desire C olonel Jones that h e remove Sir

Willmott Burrell to the apartmen t he be fore occu pied The .

m orning sun shall witness the completion of the ceremony

be tween him and her he has so deeply wronged We will .

then consider the cou rse that j ustice may poin t ou t to us .

Dalton y ou are a free man free to come and free to go and

, , ,

to go as soon and where you please O bserve I said a s s oon .

,
.

Dalto n bowed lowl y and moved to raise his daugh ter from
,

the spot on which she h ad crouched by the seat of her beloved

mistress ; Robin instinctively moved also .

Stay ! continued the Protector there is yet m ore to ,

do Young man you must be well aware your act Of this

.
,

night demands some punishmen t The ship which y ou de .

stroyed Dalton writhed at the remembrance an d Bar ,

bara half unclosed h er gentle lips .

Ple ase your Highness I knew the man s a ffection for ,

his shi p and I loved h im better than the timber he would

,

have destroyed m e in his anger but for poor Barbara .

That is nothing to us at the least fetters must be your ,

”
portion .

Barbara invol untarily sank o n her knees in a n attitude Of ,

supplication Robin k nelt also and by her side

.
,
.
416 TH E B UCCANE E R .

intent was free from blood an d though worn in bod y W as

, , , ,
‘

s leeping as quietly as a wearied child when its task is ended .

H er mot h er s s pirit seemed to hover over and bless h e r and ,

imagi n ation pi ctured another by her side who came to share

0

the blessing — it was the companion Of her childhood the ,

chosen and loved and trusted Of a long and happy and pro
, ,

s per o u s after life -

.

C onstantia pressed her couch ; but with the ex ception o f ,

the worn and weary Sir Robert whose exis tence quivered like ,

the parting light Of an expiring lamp no eyes slumbered in ,

C ecil Place The Lady Frances C ro m well upon that morn

.
,

ing took n ot up the lays of th e foolish Waller but the precious

, ,

volume that i n her vanity she had too ofte n s ligh ted
,
she ,

read therein ,

C ome un to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and ,

I will give you rest .

And as she so read a m ore cal m and se ttl e d expression ,

spread over her features and after much musing and much
thankfulness sh e sough t the chamber o f her friend C on
, .

s tantia was not alone for pale and weak and trembling , , , ,

still l i ke the aspen which every breeze may agitate — th e ,

little Puritan Barbara crouched on an Old cushion by the side

’

of her lady s bed .

I t did not escape the Lady Frances that however thankful ,

and comforted was C onstantia by her release fro m the terrible

doom Of a union wi th Sir Willmott Burrell she was deeply ,

hum bled and smitten by the publicity that had been gi ven to
’
her father s medi tated crime and she skilfully avoi ded any ,

allusion to the s cene Of the night The feelings of the maide n ,

were however elici ted su fficiently to satisfy even the curi osity
, ,

of Fran ces C romwell by o n e o f those simple incide n ts that ,

speak more eloquen tly than words As Barbara sat on the .

cushion she could see into the garden beneath : the window
,

overhung th e very spot where Wal ter had gathered the wild
rose as he went forth a prisoner wi th Maj or W el l m or e fro m , ,

the house in which h e was al ready considered a master and

the simple girl discerned amid the foliage Of the trees even , ,

Walter hims elf whose gaze was fi xed upon the cas ement
,

above .

Look Mistress look , she exclaimed , .

Lady Fr ances and C onstant ia di d look bo th at the same

 TH E B UCCAN E E R : 4 17

m o ment an d s aw the same sigh t They also both at on ce wi th ;

,
.

dre w their glance and as the eyes Of the ladies encoun tered a
, , ,

blush not o f shame or pride or anger overspread the fi ne

, , , ,

features Of C onstantia — it was the p u re bright colouring Of :

assured a ffection i t said more than if volumes had been

written to express her feelings If she seemed less dignified
.
,

she looked m ore lovely than ever : it was as sunshin e lending

new warm th and fres h beauty to a landscape which nee ded ,

that alone to vivify and enlighten to cheer and charm to , ,

gladden and give life .

Thank God exclaimed Frances clasping her hands ,

“ thank
G od — after all C onstantia y ou are but a woman
, ,
“ ”
My dear frien d ,
replied the lady literally turning o n ,

her couch to hi de her blushes this is n o time to trifle : th e

,

m elancholy
She paused for want Of words : that proneness to dissemble ,

which inevitably attends all women who ever were or eve r will
be in love was struggling with her high and tru thfu l nature
, .

But C onstantia was still C onstantia and could not depart from ,

truth so as successfully to feign what she did not feel : her

,

sentence consequen tly remained unfinishe d an d Lady Frances ,

was left at full liberty to draw her own conclusion s therefrom ,

a matter Of no great di fficulty .

I have received a letter from m y sister Mary she said , ,

kindly changi n g the subj ect and it will please you to k n o w

,

that my lordly father is inclined to liste n to reason an d ma n i ,

fests a disposition to admi t the reasonableness Of h is daughter

Frances becoming Rich Beshre w me b u t most fathers like
.

that distinction for their children only alas in this i nstance , ,

Rich and riches are n ot synonymous What think you Of .

that ? H is Highness has not said a word to me on the sub

j e c t There is your pri m Barb ara smi l ing
. A h ! you too .
,

I suppose will soo n be saluted as Mistress or Dame Hays

, .

Fie fie Barbara ! I though t y ou had better taste But n ever

, , .

mind I w ill not say a word to his disparagement

,
no nor ,

suffer on e Of the court curs to growl at C risp when he visits

the buttery at W h i te h all o r Hampton What have y o u don e
'

wi th the Lady Zill ah ?

SO please y ou m adam replied Barbara “ the Rabbi
, , ,

would not be separated from his daughter H e seems to think .

h e r only safe under h is o w n eye SO he forced her to lie on

.

E E
418 B U OOAN E E R .
‘

TH E .

h is own be d and she h as fallen poor lady in to a dee p sle ep

, , ,
'

he si ts by h er side sometimes gazing upon a dim Old ,

book full Of strange marks and characters but more Often look
, ,

i n g upon the face Of his child un til his eyes fill wi th tears ,

a n d then he clasps his hands and mutters what I know must , ,

be a blessing i t is so earnest ; and then i f perchance she

, ,

m oves and the pillo w swells or the coverlet be disturbed he , ,

’
smooths it so gently you would think it was a wom an s hand ,

and not that o f a man A h my l ady love makes all thi n gs

.
,
”
gentle .

“
I wonder Ob served Lady Fran ces
,
will sh e tu rn ,

C hris tian ?
She has been a kind nurse to me i n m y trouble re plied , ,

the pur itan but our good preacher says her heart is far from
being humbled She h as a high mind and is proud Of her
.
,

tribe While we were in the cell Master Fl ee tw or d took a

.
,

deal Of pains with her and e x pou n diate d most wonderfully for
,

hours together but I fear me the seed fell upon stony ground
”
for thou gh she sat still enough I know she did n ot listen
, ,
.

Where is your father ?

Barbara star ted at the abruptness Of the question , and co
louring she knew n o t w h y said
, , ,

Pl ease you my la dy thoug h h is Highness at first c om

, ,

m an de d him hence he has graciously su ffered him to remai n

,
”
until to morrow s n oon A h ma dam ! sh e continued sink
-
’
.
, ,
’
i ng o n the ground at Lady F r an c e s s feet if you would only , ,
”
only remember the promise you made when you gave me this ,

she held the clasp Of the gol den chain towards Lady Fran ces ,
“
and interce de with him to who m is given the power o f ,

life and de a th to pardon to the uttermost and su ffer Hugh

, ,

Dalton to tarry 011 this island I woul d I would — al as ! ,

m y lady I am bu t a poor girl and have nothing to give sa ve

, ,

blessings and they shower so upon the heads of greatness that

,

they must weary and n o t gladden but my blessing would come

from the he art and i t is not always I hear that the hea r t
, , ,

beats w h e n the lips speak So good my lady think upo n .

, ,

your o w n great father and think that as great as he have e re

n o w asked for mercy and then think u pon mine — mine who ,

is as brave and — an d ,
will be as honest as the best man i n
all E ngland Then gracious mada m i t is not from pr e su m p
.
, ,

tion I speak but Robin has w it and wisdom and wi t and

, ,
420 TE E B U CCAN E E R .

wher e h u s tl e and tra ffic have but lately been changed , as if by ,

'

m a gic into a place Of stillness

,
forsaken by those who gav e
to it animation and existe nce which before it knew n ot and ,

m ay never know again .

Solitude now covered it as with a poll A t the door of the .

once noisy and frequented hostelry instead of the be nt bu t ,

b u sy fi gure Of Old Mother Hays two sea gulls stalked and ,

-

fi appe d their wings and screamed an d thrust their bills into

, ,

the ru de cooking pots that s tood without

-
.

The two persons who appeared intent upon investigating

,

the mysteries Of the place could not be seen without bending ,

over the ed ge Of th e topmost cli ff I t was then at once per .

ce ive d that they wer e occupied in fulfilling no or dinary or

e v ery day task They moved in and out Of the lower en

- .

trance like bees intent on forming ne w cells For a consider .

able time no word w as spoken by either : at length the Obj ect

they had in view appeared accomplished and after climbing , ,

to the highest cli ff they sat down Opposite each other so as to

, ,

command a full prospect Of both sea and land .

I t was only a l i ttle farther on about a quarte r Of a mile

nearer C ecil Place — that I fir st s e t foot on the Isle o f Sh e pe y ”
,

said the younger “

and a preci ous fright I got — a fright
,

that never was clear explain ed nor ever will be now I , ,

gu es s .

“
1 little thou gh t matters would have had such an e n d ,
’
replied the other Gad I m hardly paid for the powder of
.
,
’ ’
the train by the few h its I ve picked up inside I couldn t .

’
believe unless I d seen i t myself that the place was so cle ared
, ,

ou t : excep t the furs an d shawls belonging to th e women there ,

’

wasn t the wrapping round m y finger Of anything worth hav

’
ing IV ell Hugh had many frien ds
.
,
I neve r thought he d
”
turn tail .

”
Turn tail ! repeated the youth : who dares to say he
’
turn ed tail ? I f any one repeats that before me I ll make ,

free to give him a dose of cold lead without farther cere

mony
All o u r chickens are game cocks now a days ! returned - - -

the elder on e hal f laughing ,

but Sprin gall co uld y du , ,

s w ear that th e Skipper and Robin Hays didn t concert it all ’

together ?
’ ’
Let me alone , Jack , and don t put my ba ck up I ll lay .
 TH E B UCCANEE R . 49 1
.

m y life if there was any concerting in i t twas be twee n Robin

, ,
’

and the maid Barbara Well girl s have queer fancies ! .

,
” ’ ’ ’
Who d ha thought she d ha fancied Robin ?
’ ’
though he s
’ ’

a brave sound hearted little fellow ; yet who d ha thought

-

’
she d have pre ferred him to to
’
T O you I suppose Lord Spr in gall there s no coming
, .
, ,
’
up to the women Bless ye I ve see n those who loved apes
.
, ,

and parrots and puppy dogs and took m ore pride and pleasure
,
-

i n the m than i n their o w n lawful husbands and born children !

’
What d ye think 0 that ? Why would you believe i t ? a
’

,
’
girl I loved better than m y heart s blood took a fancy to an
Old man and sent m e adrift though I w as a likely fel lo w
, ,

then — ah ! di fferent very di fferent to what I am now ; ,

and Jack R ou pall leaning h is elbows on his knees that were

, ,

w ide apart commenced drawing with the butt end Of h is pistol

, , ,

figures on the sand which the wind whether in anger o r , ,

sporti veness h ad flung u pon the crag A fte r a lengthened

, .

pause he looked sud denly up at the youth Spr in gall who still
, ,
“
sat Opposi te to him and said abruptly A re you sure y ou
, ,

m ade no mistake ?
A m I sure Of the sight of my eyes or the hearing Of my ,
”
ears ? returned th e lad I was as close to the troopers as I .

am to y ou though they saw me n o t and their entire talk was

, ,
’
Of the Gull s N est and how they were all to be down here
,

soon after sunrise ; and a deal Of j okes in their ow n way they , ,

passed u pon i t sti ff dry j okes that were as hard to swallow ,

”
as a poker .

“
Ha ha ! laughed th e smuggler ; how they will pray
,

when they see the crag dancing in the air ! I t would be il l

done towards the secret stations Of our friends on other parts
o f the coast to let these fellows find the ins and outs o f suc h
,

a place as this ; it would be holding a ca ndle to the devil

—giving the m a guide to lead them on through all their
’
plans hencefor w ard and for ever The Gull s N est shall go .

after the Fire fl y I t gives me j oy to mar their sport

-
. their
peeping and prying But we w ill not let o ff the trai n unti l
.

we see them pretty cl ose upon us The Roun dhead rascals .

’
shal l have the full benefi t Of ou r gay bonfire O ds rot it what .

else could we do but m ake a gay ending o f i t at once A gay

, .

”
ending he repea ted
. a gay ending ! N O rock to mark the
spot Of so much merriment so much j oviality so much spoil ! , ,

E E 3
422 TE E B UCC A NEE R .

Ah ! in a hundred years few can tell whe re th e watch eis of

’

'

the Gull s N est C rag lighted beacon and brand for the free
’

rovers Of the free sea

A noth er pause succee ded the rhapsody Of Jack Rou pall
and then Sprin gall inquired how i t was that he co uld not
open the stro n g roo m where the preacher h ad Lbe en left to his
prayers .

H o w it was ? why because I had not the key

,
A nd I .

a m sure there s n othing i n i t I was in with the skipper .

a fter the long legged puri ta n was o u t and I could see only
-

squashed fruit broken boxes and ol d good for n oth ing rags
, ,
- _ .

Whatever had bee n worth movi n g was moved ; but tha t roo m
will mount as high as any Of them I warrant me I laid a , .

good lot of combustibles to the door Ah ! there was the .

”
gleam Of a spear to m y thinking ,
'
An d h e arose as he .

spoke groani n g out a curse against Spr in gal l th e m oment after

,
.

My back a murrain u pon y ou and upon me too — aches

’
like the rheumatism from the weigh t Of that Old hag s co ffi n ,
’

which y ou would have me carry from the Gull s Nest ou t

yonder for fear i t should be blown up with the crag What
,
.

d id it signify if it was I wonder ? ,

’
Y ou wouldn t li ke the body Of y our Own mother to go
heavenward after such a fashion sinner as ye are would ye , , ,

Jack
They are coming Observed the rover without heedi ng
, ,
’
Sprin gall s words they are coming
, .

I t was a fine sight to s ee even a small number o f such well

disciplined soldiers winding their way under the shadow of ,

th e hill nearest the scene o f so man y adventures .

R ou pal l and the youth crept ste althily down the cli ff by a
s ecret path ; then with the greate st delibera tion
, Jack struck ,

a light an d prepared to fi re the train they had connected with

,

those within th e nest to w hich we alluded at the commence

,

m ent Of o u r narrati v e ; while Spr in gal l proceeded to perform a

similar task a little lower down the C rag towards the window ,

from whence the preacher F le e tw or d sl u ng the packet which

, ,

s o fortunately arrived at the p l ace Of i ts destination .

The instant their p u rpo s e was e ffected by a s ign al agree d

u pon between the m they quickly withdre w and sheltered be ,

neath the shade o f a huge rock left b are by the receding tide ,

where no i njury could h efs l them I t was well they did so . .

424 TH E B UCCAN E ER .
’

fiend at play w i th destruction from ra fter to rafter and beam

, ,

to beam Of th e devoted place

,
.

”
Ha ! exclaimed the reckless rover with a calmness w hich ,

at the momen t made his young companion upbraid him as the

most merciless Of human kind ; ha ! I wonder how he got
there ? I hear d that some how or other he w as in limbo at
C ecil Place ; he wanted to make an escape I suppose and so , ,
‘

t ook to the Old earth A y a y ! look your last on th e bright

.
,
’ ’ ’
su n
,
that s laughing at man and man s doings you ll never
”
mount to where it shines I trow , .

Sir Willmott Burrell for R ou pall had not been deceived

either as to the iden tity Of the person or the motive which ,

led h im to seek refuge in the Gull s Nest — had e ffected an

’

almost miraculous escape considering h o w closely he w as

,

guar ded a few hours before and secreted himself in the very
, ,

chamber where he had left poor Fl e e tw or d to starvation li ttle ,

imagining that he was standing o n the threshold Of retri

b u tive j usti ce He had ca ught at flight even so far as a
.
, ,

sort Of reprieve ; and w as forming plans Of future villany at

the very moment the train was fire d God have mercy on all .

sinners ! i t is fearful to be cut Off without time for repentance .

Sir W ill m ott h ad none I n the flower of m anhood with a

'

.
,

vigorous body and a skilful mind he h ad delighted i n evil , ,

and panted for the destruction Of his fellows His face upon .
,

w hic h the glare o f the garish fire dan c ed in derision Of his

agony w as distorted and terrible to look upon : brief as was
, ,

the space allotted to him each moment seemed a year Of tor

,

ture A s the fla m es rose and encircled their victim h i s on e s

.
,

were so dre adful that Spr in gal l pressed his hand s to h is ears
, ,

and buried h is face in the sand but R ou pall looked on to the

las t th inking aloud his own rude but energetic thoughts
,
.

“
A h ! y ou do not pray as I have seen some do ! ,
N ow ,
”
there come the Ironsides he added as those grave soldiers
, ,

drew up on a proj ection Of the oppo site cli ff which though , ,

’
lower than the ruined Gull s N est commanded a view Of the ,
“
cavern and its sole inmate ; the re they come and just in ,
’
time to see your departure for your father the devil s land .

’
You don t even die game ! What an end o n e of those Iugy
chiefs would ha m ade o f i t on such a funeral pile but some
’

people have no feeling no pride no care for what look s

well
 TH E B UCCAN EE R ‘

. 425

A t that instant the Preacher F l eetw or d wh o had aecom ,

an ied the troops stood a little in advance o f the Protector

p ,

himself C romwell had a curiosity to inspect the resort Of

.

the Buccaneers and perfectly unconscious of Sir W ill m o tt s

’

escape was petrified wi th horror and astonishmen t o n seeing

,

him under such appalling circumstances ; the tumbling crags

the blazing fi r e — the dense smoke mounting like pillars Of
blackness into the clear and happy morning sky and above ,

all th e agonised scorching figure Of the wretched knigh t

, ,

writhing i n the last throes of mortal agony

”
The Lord have mercy on his soul ! exclaimed Fleet
word Pray pray ! he continue d elevati ng his voice and
, , ,

ho ping with a kindliness Of feeling which Sir Willmott had

,

li ttle right to expect that he might be instrumental in direct

,

i ng the wretched man s attention to a future state ’

Pray ! .

death is before you and y ou cannot wrestle wi th i t

, Pray
even at the eleventh hour ! Pray ! — and we will pray with
ou
y
The Preacher un covered : the Protector and his soldiers stood
also bareheaded o n the cli ff But not upon the prayers of .

brave and honest soldiers w as the spirit Of active villany and

cowardly vice to ascend to the j udg m ent seat Of the A l migh ty
-
before one word of su pplication was spoken a colum n Of ,

flame enwreathed the rem aining portion Of the crag : it w as

of such exceeding brigh tness that the soldi ers blinked thereat

and when i ts glare was past they looked upon a smoulderin g

, ,

hea p at the foot Of the cli ffs : it was the only monument of
’ ”
The Gul l s Nest C rag ; and the h alf consumed body Of -

Sir Will mott B urrell was crushed beneat h i t .

While the attention Of C romwell and his friends was fi x ed

’

upon the desperate end Of the miserable man R ou pall w as ,

crawling under a ledge Of black rock that s tretched to a con ,

s ide r abl e d1s tan c e into the sea where he calcul ated on remain
,

ing s afe until high tide drove h im to another burrow N ot .

so Spr in gall : the moment he saw the Protector on the cli ff ,

he appeared to have forgotten every thing connected wi th dis

guise or flight he no longer sought concealmen t but hastened ,

to present himself in front Of the soldiers who still remained ,

uncover ed expecting doubtless that such an event would be

, , ,

followed by exposition or pr ayer .

N othing daunted he advanced wi th a steady and deter

,
.
426 TH E B UCCANEE R .

mined step without so much as removing his hat until he

, ,

stood directly Opposite to C romwell w hose countenance u nder , ,

~

the influence of awe and horror had something in i t more ,

than usually terrific The clear blue eye Of the young in

.

trepid boy en countered the grey worn and bloodshot orb Of , ,

the great and extr aordi nary man .

For an instan t aimos t brief instant eye rested upon eye — then
'
, ,
’
the young seaman s dro pped and it would see m that his gay ,

and lofty head bent Of itself the hat w as respectfully removed

, ,

and he confessed to himself that he trembled in the pres ence of

the mys terious being .

We would not q u ench the spiri t said the Pro tec tor , ,

addressing F l ee tw or d “
but let your prayer be short — a
,

word in season is be tter than a sermon out Of season We .

have somewhat to i nvestigate touching the incendiaries by

land as well as sea .

For th e firs t time in his life Spri ngall considered that a

prayer might not be of weariso m e length There he s tood as .
, .
’

if nailed to the same spot while the smoke Of the Gull s Nest
,

a scended and the soldiers remained with their helmets in

,

t h eir hands .

C romwell manifested an occasional impatience but only by ,

moving first on on e leg then on the other ; which however

, , ,

escaped the obser vation Of Flee t w or d who most certainly h e ,

came a more di gnified and self important person e v er after the -

hour whe n he was permitted to speak in the presence Of th e

ruler in the N e w Jerusalem .

His address was brief and emphatic ; and upon its conclu
sion the Protector commanded Spri n gall to advance .

I t appea rs to us that you had something to communi

I believe I made a mistake ,

repli ed th e bo y, I took
you your Highness I should , say for on e Maj or Well
m ore .

We know you to be a faith ful watchman but i t rem ai ns ,

to be proved if ou are an honest witness C anst tell how cam e

y .

about this business and how Sir Willmott Burrell escaped

, ,

and too k refuge there

I t was always settled please your Highness that if an y
, , ,

thing happene d whoever could was to fire o f the trains,

,

whi ch were always ready laid, to make an ending whe n

~
428 TH E B UCC AN E E R ‘

Protector of E ngland took the bo y Spr ingall unto his heart ?

there was something in common between them ou t of such

slight e v ents are destinies moulded .

Your High ness said Walte r whom we must n o w dis

, ,

tin gu ish as WA L T E R C E C I L will pardon on e who is in ,

“

debted to you n o t only for a restored fortune but for hi s

, ,

hopes of happiness Your Highness will I trust pardon me

.
, ,

for so soon becoming a s u itor that bo y

Shall be cared for i t pleased the A lmighty that Maj or
W ell m o re encoun tered more than one brave heart and trusty
hand in this same Isle o f Sh e pe y A fter a time we trust to .

show you and your cousin bride when she visits her god -

m other how highly we esteem your friendship and we trust

, ,

m oreo ver that the awful lesson of retributive j ustice i t has

, ,

graciously pleased the Lord to write in palpable letters of fire,

will be remembered by all those who hear of Hugh Dalton
and the Fire fl y Great as is the power given into ou r keep
- .

ing we would not have dared to execu te such awful judgmen t

,

as that which h as fall en upon the man o f many sins A nd .

behold also by the h an ds of the ungodly righteous punishmen t

, ,

has been dealt unto th e sticks and stones that have long given
to rapine most unworthy shelter The wheat too mark ye, . , ,

young sir the wheat has been divided glory be to God

for it is his doing The wheat has been divided from the
.

tares — and from amid the lawless and the guilty have come
forth some who m ay yet take seats among the faithful in
”
Israel .

C ONC L U D IN G C H A PT E R .

T W E L V E years twelve eventful years had pa ssed and ere , ,

ou r work is done we must entreat our readers to visi t with

,

us once again the ol d Isle of Sh epe y

, ,
The thoughtless . ,

good tem pered dissipated ex travagant ungrateful u n pr in

-
, , , ,

c ipl e d C harles had been called by the sedate thinking and

, , ,

m oral people of Engl and to reign over them But w ith E n f .

glish whim or E nglish wisdom we have at present nought to

, ,

do ; we leave able r and stronger heads to determine wh e n ,

 '

TH E B UCC A NE E R . 429

e iewing th e page of history whether we are or are not a

r v ,

most change loving people -

lovers of change for the sake of
change .

O ur business is with an aged m an seated on a pleasan t , ,

evening of the year 1668 under a noble oak whose spreading , ,

bran ches shadowed a brook that babbled at h is feet .

The beams of the setting sun were deepening the yellow tints
o f y e t early autumn and many of the trees looked as i f steeped
,

i n liquid gold In the distance the ocean quiet cal m u n

.
, , , ,

ru tHe d was sleeping be neath the sobe r s k and not a breeze

, y ,

wafted its murmurs to the little streamlet by the si de of w hich

that ol d man sat He was but on e of a group four healthy
.

and handsome ch ildren crowded around him watching with , ,

all the in tense hope and anxiety o f that happy age the pro ,

gress o f his work He was occupied as grandfathers often

.
,

are i n constructing a toy for his g ran dch ild1e n The prettiest
, .

o f the party was a dark eyed r o sy girl o f about fou r perhaps -

,

fi ve for her countenance had more intelligence than gene

rally belongs to ei ther age while her figure was slight and ,

s mall small enough for a child not numbering more than three
,

years : she too was employed

, stitching with a long awk
, ,

w ar d needle something which looked very like the sail o f a

,

baby boat A boy somewhat ol de r than herself was twisting

-
.
, ,

t o w into cordage while the eldest the man o f the family

, , ,

issued his directions or r ather his commands to both in the , , ,

customary style of la ds when overlooking their j uniors The .

’
next to h im was probably grandpapa s especial pet for he knelt ,
’

at the old man s knee watching patiently an d taking good , ,

note how b e secured the prin cipal mast steadily i n the centre
,

o f the mimic vessel it had been his kind task to frame for the
,
’

youngsters amusement .

I t must n ot be forgotten that a very pretty spaniel crouched

’
at the little m aid s feet and ever and anon lifted its mild gentle ,

eyes to the counte nance of its mistress .

”
C on said the eldest boy you are making those stitches
, ,

as long as your o w n little fingers and you must remember ,

that if the work is n ot done neatly the wind may get into the ,
"
t urnings and throw the ship o n her beam ends -
.

”
Grandfath er ! exclai m ed the child holding up her work ,

with an imploring look be those stitches too long ? If y ou ,

 43 0 TH E B U GC A N E E R .

s ay so grandfather I will take them all out be cau se y ou;

, , ,
v

”
know .

They w ill do very nicely indeed C onny repli ed the ol d , ,

man with an approving smile and as for you Master “ alter

,
f
, ,
’
I wish that your work was always done as well as your sister s .

Bless her how like her mother sh e i s

‘

“
I wish I was like my mother to o said Walter for , ,
”
then you would love me .

Boys and girl I love y ou all and thank God that in these
, , ,

bad ti m es you are as good as you are ! But Watty y ou

, , ,

must never think of the sea ; you were n o t intended for a

s ailor or y o u would not talk o f wind getting into the stitch
,

ings of a topsail and throwing the ship on her beam ends

,
-

h a l 1a
,

The proud boy turned blushingly away and began playing ,

w ith o r rather teazing a very ol d non descript dog who was

, , ,

lying comfortably coiled up o n th e Youngest lad s pinafore

'

under shelter o f the grey stone which the grandfather used as

his seat .

Wat will be a soldier said the second boy whose name , ,

w as H u gh ; his go dpapa Sir Walter says he shall B u t , ,

.

ou will teach me to be a sailor before you die and then I

y ,

m ay live to be as great as the great man y ou and father talk

about the brave Blake O h ! how proud I should be if you
,
.

c ould live to see that day he con tinued h is bright eyes dan
, ,

cing at the anticipation o f future glory A nd you may dear . ,

randfather for mother sa ys that C risp is older now fo r a dog

g ,

t h an y ou are for a man Watty you had bet ter not teaze .
,

C risp for he has three teeth left

,
.

Three ! interrupted little Con whose fine name of ,

C onstantia had been diminished to the familiar appellation

“ three
! he h as four and a half and a little pie ce for I ,
"
opened his mout and coun ted them myself .

When do you mean to speak plain and be a lady Miss , ,

C on
’
The child looked in to her brother s face and lau ghed a glee ,

some laugh o n e o f those bu rs ti n s o f a j oyous heart that

, g
come we know n ot how but n ever come afte r the dancing
, ,

pul se o f youth changes into a measured time when we look ,

’
u pon the dial s hand and note that hours are passing
, .

”
Grandfather said Hugh when the mast was fairly esta
, ,
43 2 TH E E u oc AN E E R .

bo y, asthe gal lant little vessel moved down the stream whil e
the children who not te n minutes before were trembling with
,
’

alar m at their gra ndfather s displeasure now with the happy , ,

'
versatility o f youthful spirits shouted gaily at the ship s pro ,
»

gress o v er the unrippled waters .

You will call it by no such name said Dalton gravely , .

Yonder com es your mother and she or your father can best ,
”
christen your little ship .

The ol d man who h ad launched their fairy boat turn ed to

, ,

wards where once C eci l Place h ad s tood From some peculiar .

feeling i n the bosoms of Sir Walter and La dy C ecil for whi ch ,

it would n ot be di ffi cult to account o n ly a portion of the old ,

s r u c tu r e remained — s u ffi c ie n t and j ust sufficient t o lo dge

‘

, ,
’ ’
R obin and Robin s wife and Robin s father in law and ,
- -

Robi n s children The fi ne ol d gateway was fast crumbling

.

to decay and indeed i t was well known that a kindly senti

, , ,

ment towards the Buccaneer decided Sir Wal ter o n keeping

’
even so much of the place stan ding as the ol d man s only wish ,

n o w was to die in the I sle of Sh e pe and it will be readily

y ’
believed that Hugh Dalton s wishes were laws to the family .

o f C ecil The trees had in many places been le v elled and the
.
,

only spot which remained perfectly untouched i n the gardens

“
was one called The Fairy Ring The n eighbouring pea .

santry believed that it was hallowed by some remembrance of

which bo th Lady C ecil and Barba ra par took for the latter
t ende d every herb and flower therein with more than common
care — with perfect devotion Did we say there was but one .

spot cherished ? faithless historians that we are ! there w as

another — a rustic temple ; and about ten years before the ,

period o f which we now t reat something resembli n g an al tar ,

had been erected therein with a quai nt device carved i n white

,

s tone a braid o f hair encircling two hearts an d a rhyme or

, , , ,

as i t was then called a posy the words of which are n ot recorded

, , ,

but were said to have been written by Lucy Hutchinson as a ,

complimen t to her friend C onstantia C ecil .

The ol d man as we have said turned towards C ecil Place

, , ,

w hich then presented only the appearance o f a small an d

pictur esque dwelling Issuing thence were two person s whom
.

w e2 m ay at on c e introduce as the manikin Robin Hays and the , ,

little Puritan Barbara Iverk, of our story Manikin , indeed !

, .

He of the gay pink doublet silken hose and plume hat , , , ,

 TH E B UCCANE E R . 43 3

would little thank us for the ter m He was rather over than
u n de n dr e ss e d more fine than might be expected in a country
,

gentleman in so lonely an island ; but i t was evident he loved

finery and loved to deck his own person h is long black hair
,

curled naturally and grace fu ll y over his shoul ders his eyes had
more to do during latter years with lo v e and home than with
, , ,

hate and adventure ; consequently they sparkled with pure and

kindly feeling ; and if som e ti m es sarcasm lighted its beaco n
withi n their lids i t was quickly extinguished by the devoted
,

a ffection and gratitu de of his right excellent heart H IS figu re .

appeared much less disproportioned than w hen first we s a w

’
him taunted into fury in his m other s hostelry by poor Jack
R ou pal l s ill timed j ests on h is deformity : he w as much
’
-

stouter ; and the full cavalier dress was better calculated to ,

hide any defec ts o f person than t h e ti ght fi tting vests o f the

,

bygone Roundheads who looke d to ev ery inch o f cloth wi th a

,

carefulness altogether scouted by their more heedless suc

c e ss or s . He had a free and open air and a s m ile o f dazzling ,

brigh tness What can we say of Barbara ? Fe m ale beauty is

.

seldo m stationary there is n o use in di s guising the fact that ,

after twenty dear sweet fascinating twen ty the freshness

, ,

o f the rose is gone We have said freshness

. n ot frag

ran ce . Fragrance to the ro s e is what the soul is to the ,

body — an imperishable esse n ce that lasts after the petals ,

have meekly dropped one by o n e upon their mother earth, ,

-
.

A blessing upon the fragrance o f s w eet flowers and a thou

sand bl essings u pon the po w er that gifted their leaves wi th such
a dowry O h i t partakes of hea v en to walk into the pastures
,

and inhale the goodness of the Lord from the myriad field ,

flowers that gem the earth with beauty A nd then in sick

ness What what is so refreshi n g as the perfu me of sweet
,

plants ? We speak n ot o f the gl az e d and c ostly things that

come fro m foreign l ands bu t of the E n glish nosegay , ( how
we love the home l y word ! ) the sweet b ria r lavender cow , ,

slip violet l i ly o f the valley or a sprig of me ado w s w eet a

, , , ,

branch o f myrtle a tuft of primroses o r hand ful of wild

, ,

thyme ! Such near th e couch of s ickness are worth a host o f

powdered doctors ! A gain we say a blessin g on sweet fl ow ,

ers A n d now for on e who l oved them well and learn t m u c h ,

wis dom from every leaf that c lothed her nati v e hill s .

Barbara was no lo nger th e slight delicate girl tripping wi th , ,

F F
 TH E BU CCAN E E R .

an or derly but ligh t step to do the behes ts o f those she love d ;

but a sober d iligent a ffectionate matron zealous in the dis
, , ,

charge of her duty patient in supporting pain whether of mind

, ,

or body a sincere C hristian a kind mistress a gentle dau gh , ,

ter a wise mother but above all a devote d trusting wife

, , , , , ,

still loo k ing upon Robin her Robin as the E nglish Solomon ,

-
a system we advise all wives to follo w when they can .

The manner in wh ich this truly pious woman yielded to all her
husband s whims was almost marvellous
’
o ne o f the m iracl es

of that m ir acle worker L O V E l Vi th the simple yet dis

-

criminating tact o f i tself a gift from natu re which no earthly

, ,

power c an either be sto w or teach sh e understood the wishes ,

of Robin al m ost before he was himsel f acquain te d with his

o w n thou ght s A nd had she been o n her death be d that ex
.
-

c e l l e n t creature could ha v e declared before H im to who m all ,

things are kno w n that God and her husband had been her
,
’
tru e heart s motto .

’
E ven Robin s weaknesses were hallo w ed if not cherished ,

things she innoce n tly catered to his personal vanity; for she
really loved to see him well ap pointed and she avoided every
thing bor de ring on gaiety o f dress manner or society be cause , , ,

she felt th at j e al ou s y w as on e of his i n fi rm ities ; thus by never

arousing his evil passions their v ery existence w as forgotten , ,

and the violent caprici ous Ranger would have bee n ha rdly r e
,

cognized ( except by his very intimates ) a s the sel f sa tis fied ,

-

,
’

and somewhat important manager of Sir Wal ter C ecil s estates .

A s Robin and Barbara drew near their fa ther and th e

M
children they perceived a C avalier well mounted and atten ded
, ,

by two serving men also on horseback winding al ong the hill , ,

path or road as i t w as called an d the younger dog

, ,
by th e
way a daughter of our ol d acqu ai ntance B lanche gave noti ce
to the little mariners o f the approach by bristling her silken ,

hair and roun ding her fl apping ears while sh e ba rk ed long and ,

lou dly at the unusual arrival .

The Buccaneer shaded his eyes with his hand and looked
out Robin jerked hi s hat a little more on o n e side while
.
,

Barbara drew the Fl anders lace o f her silken hood more closely
round her face .

It is a C ourt C avalier exclaimed as ter H ay s as he , ,

was respectfully termed by his a ssociates with tw o attend ,

ants and a dog ; beshrew me but a nobl e dog from foreign

43 6 TH E B UCCANE E R .

A y, But he a n d Grimstone were both half seas over

a
y ! -

or they d h a v e hardly ventured it :

’
poor Grim paid the
penalty .

And deserved it too added Robin H e whom they , .

assaulted was a wonder a being that will serve future ages

to tal k about w h e n the rule rs of the presen t day are either
,
’
execrated or forgotten Ma rry but it makes one s head swim .

to think o f the warm blood and true that has been spilled and
wasted to raise up a throne for obscenity and folly C ham
bering a n d wantonness walk together as twin born along the -

ve r y halls where C romwell and Ireton and M i lton and , , ,

’

m y head s too hot to recollect their na mes but they are

gra v en o n my heart as men who made E ngland a Quee n ,
”
among the nations .

”
Then their Popery pl ots ! chimed in the Buccaneer ;
the innocent blood that h as fl oo ded the sca ffold as if the ,

earth was thirsty fo r it and upon what grounds the evi

dence I hear o f o n e villain su pported by th e evidence of
, , ,

another ! I grie v e for on e thing truly that I was ever in ,

’

s tr u m e n tal in forwar ding the King s views Robin said a true .

word i n jest the other day that men as well as puppies were ,

born blind only i t takes a much lo n ger period to open ou r

,
”
eyes than those of ou r four footed friends
,
-
.

So it does said Spr in gall laughing ; , that was on e of ,

’
Robin s wise sayin gs Barba ra I beg your pardon .
,

Mistress Hays — do you think him as wise as ever ?

I al ways thought him wise ; but I know i t now she r e ,

plied smiling, .

Si t ye dow n Barbara said Robin and ou r friend her e

, , ,

will tell you how much he admires ou r chi l dren they are fine ,

he althy and though I say i t hand some — straigh t withal

, , ,
’

straight as Robin Hood s o w n arrow and I do bless God for

that — for that especial ly ! I wou ld rather have seen them
dead a t m y feet tha n
N o w God forgive you Rob, s o would not I I should , .

have lo ved th e m as well had they been crooked as in ,

te r r upte d his wife .

Their fathe r
F or shame Robin ,

Robin looked at Barbara an d laughe d but t ur ned away h is ,

head ; an d then he looked a second ti me and saw that a deep ,

 TH E B UCCANEE R . 43 7

’
red hue had mounted to his wife s cheek while a tear stood '

,
’
in h e r eye ; and he forgot the stranger s presen ce and con ,
’

verted th e tear to a gentl e satisfi e d smile by a ki n d and a fl e c ,

tio n ate kiss H o w little tenderness h o w little h o w very little

.
, , ,

does i t take to constitute the happiness o f a simple mind !

”
There was a strange lon g preacher here ages ago i n , ,

quired Spr in gall fi lling his silver cup with sherris

, he
surely did not migrate with the h igher powers
No replied Dalton whose eyes h ad been fi xed upon th e
,

burning logs as if recapitulating the events o f former days ;

,

he was a staunch and true hearted Puritan apt to take wrong -

,

notions in tow and desperately bitter against Papistry which

, ,

same bitterness is a log I never could read seeing that the best ,

all sects can accomplish is to act up to the belief they have .

But as I ha v e said he was true hear ted and never recovered

, ,
-

the tale we heard as to the way in which the new directors

,

insulted th e remains of o n e who m they trembled even to look

at in his lifetime He died o ff sir like an autumn breeze
.
, , ,

chilly an d weak but pra ying and thankful that God was so
, ,

good as to remove him from the bligh t of the Philistines who ,

covered the ear th as thi ckly as the locusts overspread the land
o f E gypt .

I never did n o r ever can believe said Robin

, i t w as , .

permitted that such cravens should insult the body o f s o great

a soul . The Protec tor wished to be buried on the field o f
”
N aseby and something tells me he had his wish
,
.

Your politics changed as well as mine replied the sea

captain what cavaliers we were in the days o f our youth
”
heh C ommandan t !
,

I t is very o dd Sprin gall replied the ol d Skipper ; but

, ,

somehow m y heart is too fu ll for words I seem to be living

,

my li fe over again and but n ow could have sworn I saw poor

Sir Ro bert as I s aw him last cl utching those drea ded papers
, , .

What a n ight that was and what a day the nex t ! ,

A nd the poor Lady Zillah when she heard of Sir Will ,

’ ”
mott s end ! said Barbara She spoke no word she made
.
,

no scream but her trouble came quickly and hard and bitter ,

i t was and the child her hope rested on breathed no brea th

there was no heir to the house of Burre ll and sh e and her
”
father passed fro m the land and were se en no more , .

Seen no more , certainly ; but many were the j ewels and

43 8 TH E B UCCANE E R .

’
costly the tirings she sent from foreign parts to m y lady s fi rs t:
”
born continued Robin
, .

A nd to me she sent baubl es not baubles either added , ,

Barbara but things too costly for o ne in my s ta te

, Her la s t .

gift was the most precious in m y sight a gold c ross and ,

along the to p these words Thy God shal l be my God

and down the centre Thy people my people ! ‘
I t gave ’

me great consolation ; it was like a token of resignation and

” ’
peace and a wonderful working o f God s providen ce
,
A nd .

after sh e h ad s o s ai d she went ou t of the room to conceal the

, ,

emotion sh e always felt when speaking of the Jewish lady .

“ So it was undoubtedly ” rej oined Robin who h ad not

, ,
’
noted Barbara s departure .

Despite your bravery Master said the seaman

, I , ,

think you have got a touch of the past times yourself ; I have
”
n ot heard th e breath of an oath from either ?

Hush replied Robin looking round the room and righ t, ,

“
pleased to find that Barbara w as absent : were it only to
avoid giving her pain it would ill become either of us to blas
,

ph e m e Him in whom we tru st .

”
A nd so you say commenced Dalton uniting the thread
, ,
“
o f the di scourse which had been broken
,
that Sir Walter ,

and Lady C ecil are seldom see n at court ? I heard this be

”
fore but not for certain
, .

Seldom you may well say returned Spri ngall

,
the ,

king pres en ted Lady C astlemaine to th e Lady C onstantia at ,

on e of the drawing rooms and o u r ri ght noble dame decl ared

-

i t was the last sh e would ever attend I t was said that the .

king spoke to Sir Walte r about i t and I think i t likely as he ,

kne w him abroad so w elL A nd Sir Walter was even more

high on th e matter than his lady had been and the king j ested ,

and said i t was only the court fashion to w hich Sir Walter
returned for answer that however it might be the court
, ,

fashion it was scarce courtly to present an immodest to a m o

,

dest woman With that the king chafed and said he supposed
.
,
’
Lady C onstanti a s friendship for Dame Franc es Russell was
’

stronger than her loyalty for she regarde d C romwell s daughter

, ,

bo th as R I C H and RU SS E LL more than she did his favour ,

.

A nd Sir Walter making a low bo w replied that L ady C on

, ,

stantia had li t tle thou gh t to displease her king by her attach

ment to a lady wh o had on ce been honoured by th e o ffer of his
440 TH E B U CCAN E E R .

the events and the persons wi th whom we had mos t to do in

pas t years let us be fore entering on other subjects fill a
, , ,

bumper to the health of my long cherished and despite his , ,

faults m y tr usty beloved friend

,
the OL D BUCCANE E R !
Much has be occupied my thoughts and i t j oys me to find ,

h im and leave h i m where an old man ought to be — in the

, ,

boso m of his tr ue and beautiful family We have all faults

’ ”
'
’

.
,

continued the o fficer somewhat m oved by the good sherris,

’
and his o w n good feeling for i t s a well written l og that -

h as n o blots but hang it as I said before I never cou ld spin , ,

a yarn like my friend Robi n here either from th e wheel which , ,

I mean to typi fy the head o r the dis ta fl whi ch be i t n u

'

, ,

de rs too d signifies the heart:

, So here goes a n d w i th a h

trembling hand and a sparkling e ye th e generous Spr in gall

, ,
'

drained the dee p tankard to the health o f his first sea friend , .

I t is not seemly in woman to drink of strong waters or

glowing wine said Barbara whose tearful eyes rested u pon
, ,

the time worn features o f her father

-
but G od knows m y , ,

heart is often so full o f grateful thanks that I lack words to ,

speak m y happiness and I have need of constant watchfulness

to preven t the creature from occupying the place of the C reator .

My father has sometimes hours of bitterness yet I bless God ,

he is not as a brand consumed in the burning but rather as ,

gold purified an d cleansed by that which devoureth o u r im

purities but maketh great that which deserveth greatness
, .

A s to Robin
”
D on t turn m e into a fable wife !
’
exclaimed Robin , ,

playfully interrupting her I am i n my o w n pro per per ,

s on , an JE so p as it is There has bee n enough of all this for

.

to night : we w i ll but pledge another cup to the health of Sir

-

Walter the Lady C on s tance an d their children

,
and then ,

to bed ; and may all sleep well whose hearts are innocent as
yours Barbara ! and I h Ope I may add without presumption
, ,

puri fied as mine You see Sprin gal l the earth that nourishes
.
, ,
”
the rose may in time partake of i ts frag rance .

TH E EN D .

LO N D O N
by A . Snor r i s w o o n h .
-
S
N e w t r ee t Sq u are-