Roland Cashel Volume I Part 54

"With two vigorous pulls I filled the pistons full, and, at the third, rush went the stream with the force of a Congreve--not, indeed, over the trees, as I expected, but full in the face of the First Lord; scarcely was his cry uttered, when a fourth dash laid him full upon his back, drenched from head to foot, and nearly senseless from the shock. The king screamed with laughing--the admiral shouted--the old post-captain swore--and I, not knowing one word of all that was happening behind my back, worked away for the bare life, till the two footmen, at a signal from the admiral, laid hold of me by main force, and dragged me away, the perspiration dripping from my forehead, and my uniform all in rags by the exertion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 346]

"'Get away as fast as you can, sir,' whispered old B., 'and thank G.o.d if your day's work only puts you at the end of the list.' I followed the counsel--I don't know how--I never could recollect one event from that moment till I awoke the next morning at my aunt's cottage at Blackwall, and saw my coat in tatters, and the one epaulette hanging by a thread; then I remembered my blessed invention, and I think I showed good pluck by not going clean out of my mind."

There was an earnestness in poor Sickleton's manner that effectually repressed any mirth on Cashel's part--indeed, his sense of the ludicrous gave way before his feeling of sorrow for the hard fortune of the man without a friend. In the partial civilization of the far west, personal prowess and energy were always enough to secure any man's success; but here, each day's experience taught him how much was to be laid to the score of family--of fortune--name--address--and the thousand other accessories of fortune. He had just begun to express his wonder that Sickleton had never tried life in the New World, when the mate appeared at the cabin-door to say that a sh.o.r.e boat was rowing out to the yacht.

A movement of impatience broke from Sickleton. "More of 'em, I suppose,"

cried he; "we've had such a lot of sight-seers this morning, since we dropped anchor! most of them affecting to be intimate friends of yours, and all so well acquainted with your habits of life, that I should have become perfectly informed on every particular of your private history only by listening."

"The chances are," broke in Cashel, "I did not personally know a man amongst them."

"I half suspect as much. They spoke far too confidently to be authentic.

One would have it you were half ruined already, and had got the yacht over to clear away, and be off. Another, that you were going to be married to a lady with an immense fortune,--a rumor contradicted by a third saying it was an attorney's daughter without a s.h.i.+lling."

"There's a lady, I see, sir, coming on board," said the mate, putting in his head once more.

"I 'd swear there was," growled Sickleton.

"You give them luncheon, I hope?" said Cashel, smiling at the other's impatience.

"Yes; we've had something like an ordinary here, today, and as I heard that to-morrow would be busier still, I have had my boat going backwards and forwards all the morning to prepare."

"I am desired to show you this card, sir," said the mate, handing one to Sickleton, who pa.s.sed it to Cashel.

"Lord Kilgoff--indeed!" said he, surprised, and at once hastened to the deck.

"Mr. Cashel himself here!" exclaimed my Lady, from the stern of a small boat alongside; and after an exchange of friendly recognition, the party ascended the gangway. "This was a pleasure we scarcely looked for, to meet you here," said his Lords.h.i.+p, blandly. "We had just taken our drive down to the harbor, when accidentally hearing your yacht had arrived, Lady Kilgoff grew desirous to see it."

"A yacht in harbor is a horse in stable," said Cashel. "Will you permit me to give you a cruise?"

"I should like nothing in the world so well."

"It is late--almost six o'clock," said Lord Kilgoff, looking at his watch.

"And if it be," said my Lady, coaxingly, "you know Dr. Grover recommended you the sea air and sea excursions. I declare you look better already, don't you think so, Mr. Cashel?" "I protest I do," said Cashel, thus appealed to; "and if you will only pardon the deficiencies of a floating cuisine, and dine here--"

"How delightful!" broke in my Lady, not suffering even time for an apology.

"It appeared to me there was a haunch of venison hanging over the stern when we came on board?" said my Lord, with his gla.s.s to his eye.

"Yes, my Lord," said Sickleton, touching his hat in salutation; "I've had it there for two hours every day since Tuesday week."

"And is the wind, and the tide, and everything else as it should be, Mr.

Cashel?" said Lady Kilgoff.

"Everything--when you have only uttered your consent," said he, gallantly.

"What is this, sir?" said my Lord, as, having requested something to drink, Sickleton poured him out a large gla.s.sful of scarcely frothing liquid.

"Dry champagne, my Lord. Moot's."

"And very excellent too. Really, Laura, I am very sorry it should be so late, and we were to have dined with Meek at seven--"

"But only alone--no party, remember that," said she, persuasively; "how easy to send the carriage back with an apology."

Cashel looked his thanks, but without speaking.

"Take those red partridges out of ice," said Sickleton, from the cook's galley, "and let us have those Ostend oysters to-day."

"I yield," said my Lord. "Mr. Cashel must take all the consequences of my breach of faith upon himself."

"I promise to do so, my Lord."

"A pen and ink, and some paper, Mr. Cashel," said her Ladys.h.i.+p.

"Will you permit me to show you the way?" said he, handing her down into the little cabin, whose arrangement was all in the perfection of modern taste and elegance.

"How beautiful!" cried she. "Oh! Mr. Cashel, I really do envy you the possession of this fairy s.h.i.+p. You don't know how pa.s.sionately I love the sea."

"There are but few things I could hear you say with so much pleasure to me," said Cashel, gazing with a strange feeling of emotion at the brilliant color and heightened expression of her handsome features.

"There! that is finished," said she, closing the hastily-written note.

"Now, Mr. Cashel, we are yours." However much of course the words were in themselves, her eyes met Cashel's as she spoke them, and as suddenly fell; while he, taking the letter, left the cabin without speaking--a world of curious conjecture warring in his heart.

CHAPTER XXVIII. A SPLIT IN THE KENNYf.e.c.k CABINET

Like "cat and dog!" not so! _their_ strife They carried on like "man and wife."

Family Jars.

It may easily have escaped our reader's memory, that on Roland Cashel's hasty departure from Mr. Kennyf.e.c.k's, the seeds of a very serious schism had been sown in that respectable family, Mrs. Kennyf.e.c.k being firmly persuaded that her liege lord had grossly mismanaged his influence over the young proprietor; the girls as resolutely opposed to each other; and all, with a most laudable unanimity, agreed in thinking that Aunt f.a.n.n.y "had spoiled everything," and that but for her odious interference there never would have arisen the slightest coolness between them and their distinguished acquaintance.

"I may lose the agency!" said Mr. Kennyf.e.c.k, with a sigh of afflicting sincerity.

"I should n't wonder if he avoids the house," quoth his wife.

"He evidently rejects all attempts at domination," said Miss Kennyf.e.c.k, with a glance at her aunt. Olivia said nothing; but it was not difficult to see that her thoughts were full of the theme. Meanwhile, Miss O'Hara, in all the dignity of injured rect.i.tude, sat seemingly unconscious of the popular feeling against her, repeating from time to time the ominous words, "We shall see--we shall see;" a species of prophetic warning that, come what may, can always a.s.sert its accomplishment.

With such elements of discord and discontent, the breakfast proceeded gradually, and the broken attempts at talk had subsided into a sullen silence, when the butler entered to say that Mr. Phillis begged to speak a few words with Mr. Kennyf.e.c.k.

"Let him come in here," said Mrs. Kennyf.e.c.k, as her husband was rising to leave the room. "I think, if there are to be no more blunders, we had better be present at the conference."

"Show him in, Pea.r.s.e," said Mr. Kennyf.e.c.k, in a meek voice; and the gentleman's gentleman entered, in all that easy self-sufficiency so peculiar to his cla.s.s.