Part 62 (1/2)
Bunce read over the letter, which fortunately met his approbation; and, on seeing the name of Claud Halcro at the bottom, he exclaimed, in great surprise, and with more energetic expressions of a.s.severation than we choose to record--”Why, you are the little fellow that played the fiddle to old Manager Gadabout's company, at Hogs Norton, the first season I came out there! I thought I knew your catchword of glorious John.”
At another time this recognition might not have been very grateful to Halcro's minstrel pride; but, as matters stood with him, the discovery of a golden mine could not have made him more happy. He instantly remembered the very hopeful young performer who came out in Don Sebastian, and judiciously added, that the muse of glorious John had never received such excellent support during the time that he was first (he might have added, and only) violin to Mr. Gadabout's company.
”Why, yes,” said Bunce, ”I believe you are right--I think I might have shaken the scene as well as Booth or Betterton either. But I was destined to figure on other boards,” (striking his foot upon the deck,) ”and I believe I must stick by them, till I find no board at all to support me. But now, old acquaintance, I will do something for you--slue yourself this way a bit--I would have you solus.” They leaned over the taffrail, while Bunce whispered with more seriousness than he usually showed, ”I am sorry for this honest old heart of Norway pine--blight me if I am not--and for the daughters too--besides, I have my own reasons for befriending one of them. I can be a wild fellow with a willing la.s.s of the game; but to such decent and innocent creatures--d----n me, I am Scipio at Numantia, and Alexander in the tent of Darius. You remember how I touch off Alexander?” (here he started into heroics.)
”'Thus from the grave I rise to save my love; All draw your swords, with wings of lightning move.
When I rush on, sure none will dare to stay-- 'Tis beauty calls, and glory shows the way.'”
Claud Halcro failed not to bestow the necessary commendations on his declamation, declaring, that, in his opinion as an honest man, he had always thought Mr. Altamont's giving that speech far superior in tone and energy to Betterton.
Bunce, or Altamont, wrung his hand tenderly. ”Ah, you flatter me, my dear friend,” he said; ”yet, why had not the public some of your judgment!--I should not then have been at this pa.s.s. Heaven knows, my dear Mr. Halcro--Heaven knows with what pleasure I could keep you on board with me, just that I might have one friend who loves as much to hear, as I do to recite, the choicest pieces of our finest dramatic authors. The most of us are beasts--and, for the Kirkwall hostage yonder, he uses me, egad, as I use Fletcher, I think, and huffs me the more, the more I do for him. But how delightful it would be in a tropic night, when the s.h.i.+p was hanging on the breeze, with a broad and steady sail, for me to rehea.r.s.e Alexander, with you for my pit, box, and gallery! Nay, (for you are a follower of the muses, as I remember,) who knows but you and I might be the means of inspiring, like Orpheus and Eurydice, a pure taste into our companions, and softening their manners, while we excited their better feelings?”
This was spoken with so much unction, that Claud Halcro began to be afraid he had both made the actual punch over potent, and mixed too many bewitching ingredients in the cup of flattery which he had administered; and that, under the influence of both potions, the sentimental pirate might detain him by force, merely to realize the scenes which his imagination presented. The conjuncture was, however, too delicate to admit of any active effort, on Halcro's part, to redeem his blunder, and therefore he only returned the tender pressure of his friend's hand, and uttered the interjection ”alas!” in as pathetic a tone as he could.
Bunce immediately resumed: ”You are right, my friend, these are but vain visions of felicity, and it remains but for the unhappy Altamont to serve the friend to whom he is now to bid farewell. I have determined to put you and the two girls ash.o.r.e, with Fletcher for your protection; and so call up the young women, and let them begone before the devil get aboard of me, or of some one else. You will carry my letter to the magistrates, and second it with your own eloquence, and a.s.sure them, that if they hurt but one hair of Cleveland's head, there will be the devil to pay, and no pitch hot.”
Relieved at heart by this unexpected termination of Bunce's harangue, Halcro descended the companion ladder two steps at a time, and knocking at the cabin door, could scarce find intelligible language enough to say his errand. The sisters hearing, with unexpected joy, that they were to be set ash.o.r.e, m.u.f.fled themselves in their cloaks, and, when they learned that the boat was hoisted out, came hastily on deck, where they were apprized, for the first time, to their great horror, that their father was still to remain on board of the pirate.
”We will remain with him at every risk,” said Minna--”we may be of some a.s.sistance to him, were it but for an instant--we will live and die with him!”
”We shall aid him more surely,” said Brenda, who comprehended the nature of their situation better than Minna, ”by interesting the people of Kirkwall to grant these gentlemen's demands.”
”Spoken like an angel of sense and beauty,” said Bunce; ”and now away with you; for, d----n me, if this is not like having a lighted linstock in the powder-room--if you speak another word more, confound me if I know how I shall bring myself to part with you!”
”Go, in G.o.d's name, my daughters,” said Magnus. ”I am in G.o.d's hand; and when you are gone I shall care little for myself--and I shall think and say, as long as I live, that this good gentleman deserves a better trade.--Go--go--away with you!”--for they yet lingered in reluctance to leave him.
”Stay not to kiss,” said Bunce, ”for fear I be tempted to ask my share.
Into the boat with you--yet stop an instant.” He drew the three captives apart--”Fletcher,” said he, ”will answer for the rest of the fellows, and will see you safe off the sea-beach. But how to answer for Fletcher, I know not, except by trusting Mr. Halcro with this little guarantee.”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
He offered the minstrel a small double-barrelled pistol, which, he said, was loaded with a brace of b.a.l.l.s. Minna observed Halcro's hand tremble as he stretched it out to take the weapon. ”Give it to me, sir,” she said, taking it from the outlaw; ”and trust to me for defending my sister and myself.”
”Bravo, bravo!” shouted Bunce. ”There spoke a wench worthy of Cleveland, the King of Rovers!”
”Cleveland!” repeated Minna, ”do you then know that Cleveland, whom you have twice named?”
”Know him! Is there a man alive,” said Bunce, ”that knows better than I do the best and stoutest fellow ever stepped betwixt stem and stern?
When he is out of the bilboes, as please Heaven he shall soon be, I reckon to see you come on board of us, and reign the queen of every sea we sail over.--You have got the little guardian; I suppose you know how to use it? If Fletcher behaves ill to you, you need only draw up this piece of iron with your thumb, so--and if he persists, it is but crooking your pretty forefinger thus, and I shall lose the most dutiful messmate that ever man had--though, d----n the dog, he will deserve his death if he disobeys my orders. And now, into the boat--but stay, one kiss for Cleveland's sake.”
Brenda, in deadly terror, endured his courtesy, but Minna, stepping back with disdain, offered her hand. Bunce laughed, but kissed, with a theatrical air, the fair hand which she extended as a ransom for her lips, and at length the sisters and Halcro were placed in the boat, which rowed off under Fletcher's command.
Bunce stood on the quarter-deck, soliloquizing after the manner of his original profession. ”Were this told at Port-Royal now, or at the isle of Providence, or in the Pet.i.ts Guaves, I wonder what they would say of me! Why, that I was a good-natured milksop--a Jack-a-lent--an a.s.s.--Well, let them. I have done enough of bad to think about it; it is worth while doing one good action, if it were but for the rarity of the thing, and to put one in good humour with oneself.” Then turning to Magnus Troil, he proceeded--”By ---- these are bona-robas, these daughters of yours! The eldest would make her fortune on the London boards. What a das.h.i.+ng att.i.tude the wench had with her, as she seized the pistol!--d----n me, that touch would have brought the house down!
What a Roxalana the jade would have made!” (for, in his oratory, Bunce, like Sancho's gossip, Thomas Cecial, was apt to use the most energetic word which came to hand, without accurately considering its propriety.) ”I would give my share of the next prize but to hear her spout--
'Away, begone, and give a whirlwind room, Or I will blow you up like dust.--Avaunt!