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THE TWO ADMIRALS
morning, sir, I’m certain the ladies would be delighted to give
you a seat.”
“Then I will profit by their kindness,” returned Bluewater,
seating himself on the bench at the foot of the staff; “more especially, if you think they will excuse my adding Lord Geoffrey
Cleveland, one of Stowel’s midshipmen, to the party. He has
entered, to follow my motions, with or without signals.”
Dutton uncovered again, and bowed profoundly, at this
announcement of the lad’s name and rank; the boy himself,
taking the salute in an off-hand and indifferent way, like one
already wearied with vulgar adulation, while he gazed about
him, with some curiosity, at the head-land and flag-staff.
“This a good look-out, sir,” observed the midshipman;
“and one that is somewhat loftier than our cross-trees. A pair
of sharp eyes might see every thing that passes within twenty
miles; and, as a proof of it, I shall be the first to sing out, ‘sail,
ho!’”
“Where-away, my young lord?” said Dutton, fidgeting, as if
he had neglected his duty, in the presence of a superior; “I’m
sure, your lordship can see nothing but the fleet at anchor,
and a few boats passing between the different ships and the
landing!”
“Where-away, sure enough, youngster?” added the admi-
ral. “I see some gulls glancing along the surface of the water, a
mile or two outside the ships, but nothing like a sail.”
The boy caught up Dutton’s glass, which lay on the seat,
and, in a minute, he had it levelled at the expanse of water. It
was some little time, and not without much sighting along the
barrel of the instrument, that he got it to suit himself.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
“Well, Master Sharp-eyes,” said Bluewater, drily, “is it a
Frenchman, or a Spaniard?”
“Hold on, a moment, sir, until I can get this awkward glass
to bear on it. – Ay – now I have her – she’s but a speck, at the
best – royals and head of top-gallant-sails – no, sir, by George,
it’s our own cutter, the Active, with her square-sail set, and the
heads of her lower sails just rising. I know her by the way she
carries her gaff.”
“The Active! – that betokens news,” observed Bluewater,
thoughtfully – for the march of events, at that moment, must
necessarily brink on a crisis in his own career. “Sir Gervaise
sent her to look into Cherbourg.”
“Yes, sir; we all know that – and, there she comes to tell
us, I hope, that Monsieur de Vervillin, has, at last, made up his
mind to come out and face us, like a man. Will you look at the
sail, sir?”
Bluewater took the glass, and sweeping the horizon, he
soon caught a view of his object. A short survey sufficed, for
one so experienced, and he handed the glass back to the boy.
“You have quick eyes, sir,” he said, as he did so; “that is a
cutter, certainly, standing in for the roads, and I believe you
may be right in taking her for the Active.”
“’Tis a long way to know so small a craft!” observed Dutton,
who also took his look at the stranger.
“Very true, sir,” answered the boy; “but one ought to tell
a friend as far as he can see him. The Active carries a longer
and a lower gaff, than any other cutter in the navy, which
is the way we all tell her from the Gnat, the cutter we have
with us.”
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THE TWO ADMIRALS
“I am glad to find your lordship is so close an observer,” re-
turned the complaisant Dutton; “a certain sign, my lord, that
your lordship will make a good sailor, in time.”
“Geoffrey is a good sailor, already,” observed the admiral,
who knew that the youngster was never better pleased, than
when he dropped the distance of using his title, and spoke to,
or of him, as of a connection; which, in truth, he was. “He has
now been with me four years; having joined when he was only
twelve. Two more years will make an officer of him.”
“Yes, sir,” said Dutton, bowing first to one, and then to
the other. “Yes, sir; his lordship may well look forward to
that, with hisparticular merit, your esteemed favour, and
his own great name. Ah! sir, they’ve caught a sight of the
stranger in the fleet, and bunting is at work, already.”
In anchoring his ships, Admiral Bluewater had kept them
as close together, as the fog rendered safe; for one of the great
difficulties of a naval commander is to retain his vessels in
compact order, in thick or heavy weather. Orders had been
given, however, for a sloop and a frigate to weigh, and stretch
out into the offing a league or two, as soon as the fog left them,
the preceding day, in order to sweep as wide a reach of the
horizon as was convenient. In order to maintain their ground
in a light wind, and with a strong tide running, these two
cruisers had anchored; one, at the distance of a league from
the fleet, and the other, a mile or two farther outside, though
more to the eastward. The sloop lay nearest to the stranger,
and signals were flying at her main-royal-mast-head, which
the frigate was repeating, and transmitting to the flag-ship of
the commander-in-chief. Bluewater was so familiar with all
233
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
the ordinary signals, that it was seldom he had recourse to his
book for the explanations; and, in the present instance, he saw
at once that it was the Active’s number that was shown. Other
signals, however, followed, which it surpassed the rear-admiral’s knowledge to read, without assistance; from all which he
was satisfied that the stranger brought intelligence of importance, and which could only be understood by referring to the
private signal-book.
While these facts were in the course of occurrence, the
coach arrived to convey Mrs. Dutton and Mildred to the Hall.
Bluewater now presented himself to the ladies, and was received as kindly as they had separated from him a few hours
before; nor were the latter displeased at hearing he was to be
their companion back to the dwelling of Sir Wycherly.
“I fear this summons bodes evil tidings,” said Mrs. Dutton;
“he would hardly think of desiring to see us, unless something
quite serious were on his mind; and the messenger said he was
no better.”
“We shall learn all, my dear lady, when we reach the Hall,”
returned Bluewater; “and the sooner we reach it, the sooner
our doubts will be removed. Before we enter the carriage, let
me make you acquainted with my young friend, Lord Geoffrey Cleveland, whom I have presumed to invite to be of the
party.”
The handsome young midshipman was well received,
though Mrs. Dutton had been too much accustomed, in early
life, to see people of condition, to betray the same deference as
her husband for the boy’s rank. The ladies occupied, as usual,
the hind seat of the coach, leaving that in front to their male
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THE TWO ADMIRALS
companions. The arrangement accidentally brought Mildred
and the midshipman opposite each other; a circumstance that
soon attracted the attention of the admiral, in a way that was a
little odd; if not remarkable. There is a charm in youth, that no
other period of life possesses; infancy, with its helpless beauty, scarcely seizing upon the imagination and senses with an
equal force. Both the young persons in question, possessed this
advantage in a high degree; and had there been no other peculiarity, the sight might readily have proved pleasing to one
of Bluewater’s benevolence and truth of feeling. The boy was
turned of sixteen; an age in England when youth does not yet
put on the appearance of manhood; and he retained all the evidences of a gay, generous boyhood, rendered a little piquant,
by the dash of archness, roguery, and fun, that a man-of-war is
tolerably certain to impart to a lad of spirit. Nevertheless, his
countenance retained an expression of ingenuousness and of
sensitive feeling, that was singularly striking in one of his sex,
and which, in spite of her beauty of feature, hair, and complexion, formed the strongest attraction in the loveliness of Mildred; that expression, which had so much struck and charmed
Bluewater – haunted him, we might add – since the previous day, by appearing so familiar, even while so extraordinary,
and for which he had been unable to recollect a counterpart.
As she now sat, face to face with Lord Geoffrey, to his great
surprise, the rear-admiral found much of the same character
of this very expression in the handsome boy, as in the lovely
girl. It is true, the look of ingenuousness and of sensitive feeling, was far less marked in young Cleveland, than in Mildred,
and there was little general resemblance of feature or counte-
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
nance between the two; still, the first was to be found in both,
and so distinctly, as to be easily traced, when placed in so close
contact. Geoffrey Cleveland had the reputation of being like
his mother; and, furnished with this clue, the fact suddenly
flashed on Bluewater’s mind, that the being whom Mildred so
nearly and strikingly resembled, was a deceased sister of the
Duchess, and a beloved cousin of his own. Miss Hedworth, the
young lady in question, had long been dead; but, all who had
known her, retained the most pleasing impressions equally of
her charms of person and of mind. Between her and Bluewater there had existed a tender friendship, in which, however,
no shade of passion had mingled; a circumstance that was in
part owing to the difference in their years, Captain Bluewater having been nearly twice his young relative’s age; and in
part, probably, to the invincible manner in which the latter
seemed wedded to his profession, and his ship. Agnes Hedworth, notwithstanding, had been very dear to our sailor, from
a variety of causes, – far more so, than her sister, the Duchess,
though she was a favourite – and the rear-admiral, when his
mind glanced rapidly through the chain of association, that
traced the accidental resemblance of Mildred to this esteemed
object, had a sincere delight in finding he had thus been unconsciously attracted by one whose every look and smile now
forcibly reminded him of the countenance of a being whom,
in her day, he had thought so near perfection. This delight,
however, was blended with sadness, on various accounts; and
the short excursion proved to be so melancholy, that no one
was sorry when it terminated.
236
CHAPTER XII
“Nath. Truly, Master Holofernes, the
epithets are sweetly varied, like a scholar
at the least. But, sir, I assure ye, it was a
buck ofthe first head.
Hol. Sir Nathaniel, haud credo.
Bull. ‘Twas not a haud credo, ‘twas a
pricket.”
Love’s Labour Lost
Every appearance of the jolly negligence which had been so
characteristic of life at Wychecombe-Hall, had vanished, when
the old coach drew up in the court, to permit the party it had
brought from the station to alight. As no one was expected but
Mrs. Dutton and her daughter, not even a footman appeared
to open the door of the carriage; the vulgar-minded usually
revenging their own homage to the powerful, by manifesting
as many slights as possible to the weak. Galleygo let the newcomers out, and, consequently, he was the first person of whom
inquiries were made, as to the state of things in the house.
“Well,” said Admiral Bluewater, looking earnestly at the
steward; “how is Sir Wycherly, and what is the news?”
“Sir Wycherly is still on the doctor’s list, your honour; and
I expects his case is set down as a hard ‘un. We’s as well as can
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
be expected, and altogether in good heart. Sir Jarvy turned out
with the sun, thof he didn’t turn in ‘till the middle-watch was
half gone – or two bells, as they calls ‘em aboard this house –
four bells, as we should say in the old Planter – and chickens,
I hears, has riz, a shillin’ a head, since our first boat landed.”
“It’s a melancholy business, Mrs. Dutton; I fear there can
be little hope.”
“Yes, it’s all that, Admiral Blue,” continued Galleygo, following the party into the house, no one but himself hearing a
word he uttered; “and ‘twill be worse, afore it’s any better. They
tells me potaties has taken a start, too; and, as all the b’ys of all
the young gentlemen in the fleet is out, like so many wild locusts of Hegypt, I expects nothing better than as our mess will
fare as bad as sogers on a retreat.”
In the hall, Tom Wychecombe, and his namesake, the lieutenant, met the party. From the formal despondency of the
first, every thing they apprehended was confirmed. The last,
however, was more cheerful, and not altogether without hope;
as he did not hesitate openly to avow.
“For myself, I confess I think Sir Wycherly much better,”
he said; “although the opinion is not sanctioned by that of the
medical men. His desiring to see these ladies is favourable; and
then cheering news for him has been brought back, already,
by the messenger sent, only eight hours since, for his kinsman,
Sir Reginald Wychecombe. He has sensibly revived since that
report was brought in.”
“Ah! my dear namesake,” rejoined Tom, shaking his head,
mournfully; “you cannot know my beloved uncle’s constitution
and feelings as well as I! Rely on it, the medical men are right;
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THE TWO ADMIRALS
and your hopes deceive you. The sending for Mrs. Dutton and
Miss Mildred, both of whom my honoured uncle respects and
esteems, looks more like leave-taking than any thing else; and,
as to Sir Reginald Wychecombe, – though a relative, beyond
a question, – I think there has been some mistake in sending
for him; since he is barely an acquaintance of the elder branch
of the family, and he is of the half-blood.”
“Half what, Mr. Thomas Wychecombe?” demanded the
vice-admiral so suddenly, behind the speaker, as to cause all to
start; Sir Gervaise having hastened to meet the ladies and his
friend, as soon as he knew of their arrival. “I ask pardon, sir, for
my abrupt inquiry; but, as I was the means of sending for Sir
Reginald Wychecombe, I feel an interest in knowing his exact
relationship to my host?”
Tom started, and even paled, at this sudden question; then
the colour rushed into his temples; he became calmer, and replied:
“Half-blood, Sir Gervaise,” he said, steadily. “This is an affinity that puts a person altogether out of the line of succession; and, of course, removes any necessity, or wish, to see Sir
Reginald.”
“Half-blood – hey! Atwood?” muttered the vice-admiral,
turning away towards his secretary, who had followed him
down stairs. “This may be the solution, after all! Do you happen to know what half-blood means? It cannot signify that Sir
Reginald comes from one of those, who have no father – all
their ancestry consisting only of a mother?”
“I should think not, Sir Gervaise; in that case, Sir Reiginald
would scarcely be considered of so honourable a lineage, as
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
he appears to be. I have not the smallest idea, sir, what halfblood means; and, perhaps, it may not be amiss to inquire of
the medical gentlemen. Magrath is up stairs; possibly he can
tell us.”
“I rather think it has something to do with the law. If this
out-of-the-way place, now, could furnish even a lubberly attorney, we might learn all about it. Harkee, Atwood; you must stand
by to make Sir Wycherly’s will, if he says any thing more about
it – have you got the heading all written out, as I desired.”
“It is quite ready, Sir Gervaise – beginning, as usual, ‘In the
name of God, Amen.’ I have even ventured so far as to describe
the testator’s style and residence, &c. &c. – ‘I, Sir Wycherly
Wychecombe, Bart., of Wychecombe Hall, Devon, do make and
declare this to be my last will and testament, &c. &c.’ Nothing
is wanting but the devises, as the lawyers call them. I can manage a will, well enough, Sir Gervaise, I believe. One of mine
has been in the courts, now, these five years, and they tell me
it sticks there, as well as if it had been drawn in the Middle
Temple.”
“Ay, I know your skill. Still, there can be no harm in just
asking Magrath; though I think it must be law, after all! Run
up and ask him, Atwood, and bring me the answer in the
drawing-room, where I see Bluewater has gone with his convoy; and – harkee – tell the surgeons to let us know the instant the patient says any thing about his temporal affairs. The
twenty thousand in the funds are his, to do what he pleases
with; let the land be tied up, as it may.”
While this “aside,” was going on in the hall, Bluewater and
the rest of the party had entered a small parlour, that was in
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