The Three Commanders Part 45

"She mayn't see the impossibility of it," answered Tom; "her father is the owner of thousands of acres, and country-houses, and serfs; and she told me that all he wanted was to get gentlemanly, intelligent sons-in-law, who could live in his houses and superintend the cultivation of his estates."

"Well, well," said Jack, "that doesn't sound so badly; but still, you have no right at your age to go and marry without our father's and mother's sanction; and until you have got it I'll be no party to your giving up the service and settling down for life in an out-of-the-way corner of Russia. With regard to Higson, the case is very different; he is twice your age, has very little prospect of promotion, and no friends that I know of to give up; besides which, I am pretty certain that nothing would induce him to take service in the Russian navy, with the chance of being employed against England."

"I don't see that our cases are so very different," answered Tom; "and you may put me in irons, and do what you like, but I'll not promise to give up Feodorowna, nor write the cruel letter you propose, to bid her farewell. There, you've got my answer, and I've in no way infringed the articles of war by saying that, though you _are_ my commander."

"I am not quite certain that you have not, by the tone in which you speak," answered Jack; "however, I am very sorry for it, Tom, and warn you that as you are obstinate, I must take measures accordingly."

What those measures were, Jack did not tell his brother. Having dismissed him, he sent for d.i.c.k Needham, and desired him to keep a watchful eye on the youngster, lest he might take French leave and quit the s.h.i.+p.

"Ay, ay, sir," answered d.i.c.k; "though they're not a bad sort of people in the main, I shouldn't like Mr Tom to turn into a Russian--it won't be my fault if he gives leg-bail."

Satisfied on this point, Jack, ordering his gig, pulled on board the _Gleam_, which s.h.i.+p was to sail the next day for England. The _Giaour_ had gone home some time before, and Murray hoped to pay her off and to be allowed to remain on sh.o.r.e with his beloved Stella. Jack explained his anxieties about Tom to Adair, who at once agreed to take him home, and not to lose sight of him till he had handed him over either to Admiral Triton or Sir John and Lady Rogers.

"Take him in the first instance to the admiral," said Jack, "he will consider his opinion as less bia.s.sed than that of our father and mother, and be more likely to yield submission to it."

On his return to the _Tornado_, Jack ordered Tom's marine to pack up his chest, and have it lowered into his gig alongside; he then summoned Tom, and, allowing him to wish his messmates good-bye, told him to follow his chest. Tom looked, as he felt, very unhappy; d.i.c.ky Duff and Billy Blueblazes, especially, thought him a hardly-used individual--though his older messmates were more inclined to laugh than to sympathise with him.

Adair received him on board in a very kind way, and Desmond acted the part of a true friend by listening to all he had to say--though he avoided giving him any encouragement, and when Tom declared his intention of making his escape in the first caique which came alongside, he warned him that he could not possibly succeed.

Next morning the _Gleam_ steamed away down the Bosphorus. Tom had not been many hours at sea before he recovered his spirits, and was able to admire the beautiful scenery amid which the s.h.i.+p was steering her course.

Having now settled this matter to his satisfaction, Jack turned his attention to the affair of his first lieutenant. Higson's interview with the old tutor had confirmed him in his resolution to abandon the service and marry Ivanowna; and Jack, though sorry to lose him, promised to do his best to forward his views. Jack gave him leave of absence, and Higson was engaged in packing up to accompany Herr Groben in a steamer which was to start the next day for the Crimea, when the commander of the _Tornado_ was sent for on board the flags.h.i.+p. Greatly to his satisfaction, Jack found that he had to return to Balaclava on an affair relating to the evacuation of the place, and afterwards to visit other places to the eastward which had been captured by the allied squadrons and restored to the Russians.

"This is a most fortunate circ.u.mstance for you, Higson," he said, when he returned on board; "you will have an opportunity of visiting your friends, and if you take my advice, you will go home in the s.h.i.+p, and, as I hope, obtain your promotion."

Higson, thanking Jack, promised to be guided by circ.u.mstances. The _Tornado_ had got her steam up, when the mail from England was signalled, and Jack waited for its arrival. He received several letters--one from his sister Mary, replete, as was usually the case in her letters, with sc.r.a.ps of news. The most important, as far as he himself was concerned, was that Julia Giffard was somewhat out of health, and that her father had taken her to Malta, where they intended to pa.s.s the winter. Sir John and Lady Rogers were as averse as ever to Lucy's marriage with Adair, not from any objection to him, except on account of his want of means; and they were annoyed at the encouragement Admiral Triton and Miss Deborah appeared to have afforded the young people. The admiral had actually written to Sir John on the subject, but neither he nor Lady Rogers could understand his meaning, except that he thought him unwise in objecting to a fine promising young officer, who was certain if he remained in the service to become an admiral some day. "Poor Lucy is sadly perplexed about it," said Mary; "she has given her heart to Adair, and is certainly not a person likely to bestow it on anyone else; so that her fate will be a hard one if she is not allowed to marry." Sidney had returned home very much improved by his Crimean campaign, having dropped all his Guardsman's airs, and become, Mary observed, very like Jack himself.

Jack would have been more deeply concerned about Julia, had he not received a letter from her, a.s.suring him that the voyage had done her a great deal of good, and that she was looking forward to the happiness of seeing him shortly on his arrival at Malta. Murray had reached England, but, much to his disappointment, the _Giaour_ had not been paid off, and he had been directed to hold himself in readiness to sail immediately.

He spoke of the admiral as very much broken, while Mrs Deborah was also ailing. He could not sufficiently express his grat.i.tude for the kindness with which the old people had treated Stella and his two children; she was still residing with them at Southsea--they insisted on their remaining there till his return, to which he had consented, as he hoped not to be long absent from home. "I shall then," he said, "not seek for employment, and, as I have some hopes of my promotion, I may become an admiral some day. I had expected to have been back at Bercaldine and to have been able to receive you and Mrs Jack Rogers on your wedding tour; perhaps even now I may be home in time, and, at all events, my dear Jack, I look forward to the pleasure of seeing you and Terence Adair there as one of the greatest in this sublunary world."

Jack had read his letters, when Higson entered the cabin, with an official-looking despatch in his hand.

"Congratulate me!" he exclaimed. "I have received what I little expected, my promotion; and, as there is small chance of my being employed, I think you will agree that I should be wise in taking advantage of the good fortune offered me."

"I congratulate you heartily," said Jack, "and I won't say a word to dissuade you."

Higson, after considerable trouble, succeeded in obtaining a commander's full-dress uniform, with which he expressed himself highly delighted.

He had just time to get on board when the _Tornado_ steamed away for Balaclava, with the worthy tutor, to whom Jack had offered a pa.s.sage on board. The duties with which he had been charged at Balaclava having been performed, Jack continued his course to the eastward, and the _Tornado_ soon arrived off the fort with which he had had so gallant a contest. Jos Green having undertaken to carry the _Tornado_ up the river as far as the depth of water would allow, she entered its mouth, keeping the lead going, and proceeded on at half speed till she came off Colonel Paskiewich's house. Her approach had been perceived; gay flags, that of England being the highest, were hoisted on the flagstaff near the house, and numerous persons were seen collected at the landing-place.

Jack agreed to accompany Higson, who of course had put on his commander's uniform, on sh.o.r.e; the two other boats followed with most of the officers, all in full-dress. The colonel was the first person to greet them. He welcomed them cordially, and invited the whole party up to the house, where the ladies sat ready to receive them. The eyes of the fair Ivanowna beamed with pleasure as they rested on the gallant commander, though she cast them down modestly as he approached to take her hand, which he lifted gallantly to his lips.

The eyes of poor little Feodorowna wandered in vain among the group of officers in the background in search of Tom, and her countenance fell on discovering that he was not among them. Unable to restrain her anxiety, she asked Herr Groben, who was compelled to inform her of the truth, on hearing which she burst into tears.

"How very, very cruel to send him away!" she exclaimed; "I don't see why my sister's lover should have been allowed to come and mine been sent off to England."

Herr Groben tried to explain that the one was a commander, and the other only a mids.h.i.+pman; and that while one might be allowed to act as he thought fit, the other was still under the direction of his parents.

Nothing, however, would comfort her; it had, however, the effect of making her look very interesting; and just at that moment any one of the officers would have been perfectly ready to take Tom's place, especially d.i.c.ky Duff and Billy Blueblazes; indeed, they both determined to make her an offer in the course of the evening, and to toss up which should first do so. Perhaps the attention she received somewhat consoled her, for she soon dried her tears, and to all appearance became perfectly happy.

After a magnificent banquet, when the table literally groaned with viands of all descriptions, a dance was got up, several young ladies arriving from various houses in the neighbourhood, while for a couple of hours after it had begun, others, to whom notice of the coming of the English s.h.i.+p had been sent, arrived from greater distances. As a natural consequence, all the unmarried and unengaged officers lost their hearts to Russian young ladies, and it was said that Feodorowna received certainly two if not three offers before the evening was over. Jack, when he found the state of affairs, began to consider whether he had not made a mistake in coming to the place.

Not till morning dawned did they return on board. Honest Higson was, of course, the hero of the evening, and it was very evident, from the attention the colonel paid him, that he was well pleased with his intended son-in-law. At breakfast the next morning, Higson begged Jack to wait till his wedding, which he told him had been fixed for the next day.

"Rather sharp work," observed Jack.

"Why, the fact is," answered Higson, "Madame Paskiewich is anxious to give the marriage eclat by having the advantage of your presence, and that of my late s.h.i.+pmates, and, as the young lady did not object, of course I was delighted, and I hope you will be able to stay."

Jack of course agreed, and the news, soon spreading round the s.h.i.+p, afforded infinite satisfaction. It would take more s.p.a.ce than can be allowed to describe the magnificence of the fete. As many of the officers as could be spared were invited on sh.o.r.e, while an abundance of good viands were sent off to those who had to remain on board to take care of the s.h.i.+p. The whole neighbourhood were a.s.sembled in their gayest costumes. The upper cla.s.ses were entertained either in the house, or in a large marquee erected on the lawn, and tables were spread in the neighbouring field for the peasantry and seamen, who, though they could not exchange many ideas, became nevertheless on excellent terms.

Everyone, indeed, seemed to forget that a few months before their respective nations had been engaged in a fierce and b.l.o.o.d.y struggle.

The marriage ceremony was performed in a neighbouring church. Though Jack, who acted as Higson's best man, did not admire the style of service, and the pictures of saints, and bowings and singing, he came to the conclusion that his friend was as firmly spliced as he would have been in a quiet English country church; and that, after all, as he remarked to him, was the chief point to be considered.

The officers and crew of the _Tornado_ made all the preparations in their power to do honour to their former first lieutenant's marriage; the s.h.i.+p was decked with flags, and the boats' crews who had attended the wedding requested the honour of escorting the young couple round the s.h.i.+p. A barge having been got ready for their reception accordingly, Higson, leading his bride down to the water, embarked, and was rowed three times round the s.h.i.+p; while the crew manned yards, the band played "Haste to the wedding," and the guns fired a salute.

Jack and his officers had also arranged to give a ball on board, and invitations had been sent out through Madame Paskiewich to all her acquaintances. The s.h.i.+p for the purpose had been housed in, and by an extensive use of bunting the deck had been converted into a perfect ballroom, while a handsome supper was laid out in Jack's cabin and the gun-room. The s.h.i.+p's boats, aided by a few from the sh.o.r.e, were employed in bringing off the guests; and as they danced away merrily to the music of the s.h.i.+p's band, few recollected that a few months before the big guns on that deck had been busily engaged in firing on their countrymen. It was one proof of many how slight an interest the nation at large had felt in the war, which they had looked upon as an imperial affair, with which they themselves had nothing to do beyond sending, as in duty bound, their quota of friends and relatives to be slaughtered.

Altogether, the ball was p.r.o.nounced a success, and the officers and their guests parted mutually satisfied with each other.

Feodorowna, who suspected that Jack had been the cause of Tom's being spirited away, could not help at first exhibiting her displeasure, but by degrees he calmed her anger, a.s.suring her that Tom would have proved a very unsatisfactory husband, as he was much too young for her, and would in a few months have got heartily sick of an idle life on sh.o.r.e, and have either taken to drinking, or run away; and that she would do much more wisely to choose an older partner for life; on which she naively inquired whether his second lieutenant was disengaged.

Jack a.s.sured her that he was wedded to the muses, and that he doubted much whether even for her sake he would be induced to break off his engagement, but that he would ask him. On Mildmay's begging to be excused, she begged Jack to select one of the officers; but he told her that notwithstanding his wish to oblige her, such not being the duty of a captain of a man-of-war, he must decline interfering in the matter.

The result was, that, having bade Higson and his bride farewell, and wished them every happiness, Jack ordered the fires to be got up, and steamed away down the river.

Greatly to his satisfaction, on his return to Constantinople, he was ordered off to Malta, where he found Julia Giffard and her father. Jack thought Julia looking as blooming as ever; she acknowledged that the voyage had done her so much good that she thought she should be ready to go back again, should he be ordered to England.

"Then your father will, I hope, take a pa.s.sage on board my s.h.i.+p," said Jack; "the admiral will not now object to your doing so; but had I the happiness of calling you my wife, it would be against the rules of the service, and I should very likely be compelled to let you come home by some other vessel."

Julia raised no objection to this proposal, and the colonel very kindly said he wished to do whatever his daughter liked. Jack, therefore, waited with some anxiety to hear the admiral's decision as to his future proceedings. To a.s.sist in deciding the point, he directed the engineer to make a report as to the state of the engines; while the carpenter sent one in respecting the condition of the s.h.i.+p. Both were of opinion that though her safety would not be endangered by the voyage home, she was in a condition to require such a thorough repair as could only be obtained in England.

"In fact, Commander Rogers, you have no objection to go home and pay off your s.h.i.+p, I presume?" observed the admiral; "you certainly have not had much opportunity of allowing the weeds to grow on your keel since she was commissioned, and I shall therefore send you home with despatches; when the Admiralty will decide whether or not to pay the s.h.i.+p off."

Jack, highly pleased, came back with the news to Julia, who the next day took possession of the cabin Jack had fitted up for her accommodation.

"This is indeed perfect," she exclaimed, as she admired the neat chintz curtains and furniture, vases and flowers and pictures, which adorned the bulkheads; "I had no idea that a cabin could be made so nice and pretty."

The colonel was equally well pleased with the accommodation provided for him, and Jack felt a proud satisfaction at being able to carry home his intended bride on board his own s.h.i.+p. We must leave them to make the pa.s.sage, forgetful of the possible storms, and the many other dangers to which those who voyage upon the fickle ocean are exposed, and follow Adair on board the _Gleam_.

On touching at Gibraltar, Adair saw by the papers that the _Giaour_, instead of being paid off, was ordered to proceed to the Cape; and, as far as he could make out, Murray still commanded her.

"Poor Alick!" he exclaimed; "I thought he would now be allowed to remain on sh.o.r.e, and enjoy the society of his wife; there are plenty of other fellows who are not so blessed, who would have been delighted to supersede him."

Adair was beginning to sympathise with his benedict friend, hoping as he did, in spite of adverse circ.u.mstances, ere long to belong to that fraternity.

While in harbour, he had a strict eye kept on Tom, who, though by this time he had regained his usual temper, might, he thought, if possible, take it into his head to try and make his way back to the Crimea.

After getting through the Straits, and when to the northward of the lat.i.tude of Cadiz, the s.h.i.+p encountered unusually bad weather. Instead of improving, it became worse and worse; two of her boats were washed away, the wheel and the steering apparatus damaged, and numerous other injuries were received. She would, indeed, have been compelled to put in to Cadiz, had not the wind s.h.i.+fted to the southward; when, setting her close-reefed topsails, she ran on before the gale.

"Well, old fellow, our sweethearts and wives have got hold of the tow-ropes, and are hauling us along at a famous rate," observed Desmond to Tom.

"Don't talk about that sort of thing to me," answered Tom gloomily; "I have no sweetheart or wife in England to tow me along--I am only getting farther and farther from all I hold dear."