Part 23 (2/2)

”I think very likely not,” said Lady Elmore, taking his hand. ”But, Freeborn, we are all anxious to show our grat.i.tude to you. Can you point out how it may best be done?”

”That's it, my lady!” exclaimed True Blue vehemently. ”I have done nothing to speak of, and I do not wish for anything. Let me just think about you all, and how kind you've been to me, and that's all I want.

If I serve with Sir Henry, I'll always be by his side, and I'll do my best to keep the Frenchmen's cutla.s.ses off his head.”

”Thanks, thanks, my boy. Your love for my son makes me take a double interest in you,” said Lady Elmore warmly; and then she added, ”still I wish that you would allow us somewhat to lighten the load of obligation we owe you.”

As True Blue had not the slightest notion what this meant, he made no reply.

Everybody in the house was sorry to part with the frank-spoken young sailor. Even the butler and footman begged him to accept some token of remembrance; and Mrs Jellybag, the housekeeper, put him up a box containing all sorts of good things, which, she told him, he might share with his friends down at Emsworth. He reached Emsworth in the evening, and right hearty was the welcome he received from all the members of the Ogle and Bush families, though not more kind than that old Mrs Pringle and Paul bestowed on him.

The whole party a.s.sembled to tea and supper at Mrs Pringle's, and he had not been many minutes in the house before he unpacked his chest and produced his box of good things for them. He insisted on serving them out himself, and he managed to slip the largest piece of cake into Mary's plate, and somehow to give her a double allowance of jam.

Then there were a couple of pounds of tea,--a rare luxury in those days, except among the richer cla.s.ses,--and some bottles of homemade wines or cordials, which served still more to cheer the hearts of the guests.

The pipes were brought in and fragrant tobacco smoked, and songs were called for. Paul and Abel struck up. True Blue sang some of his best, and, as he every now and then gave Mary a sly kiss, suiting the action to the words of his songs, he never felt so happy in his life.

Supper was scarcely over when there was a rap at the door, and a well-known voice exclaiming, ”What cheer, mates, what cheer?”

Billy sprang from his stool, and, lifting the latch, cried out, ”Come in, Sam, come in! Hurrah! here's Sam Smatch. We were just wis.h.i.+ng for you to help us to shake down our supper, but little thought to see you.”

”Why, d'ye see, I wasn't wanted aboard, and so I got leave and just worked my way along here, playing at the publics and taking my time about it,” said Sam.

”Not getting drunk, I hope, Sam?” asked Paul.

”Why, as to that, Paul, d'ye see, sometimes more liquor got into my head than went down into my heels; and so, you see, the heels was overballasted-like and kicked up a bit, just as the old _Terrible_ used to do in a heavy sea; but as to being drunk, don't for to go and think such a thing of me, Paul,--I, who was always fit to look after the cook's coppers when no one else could have told whether they had beef and duff or round-shot boiling in them.”

The black's countenance and the twinkle of his eyes belied his words, but he was not the less welcome. Paul told him to sit down, and he was soon doing ample justice to the remains of the supper. Without a word the table was cleared away. Mrs Pringle and the older people retired into the wide chimney recess. Sam, taking his fiddle, mounted on a meal-tub, which stood in a corner by the old clock, and then, striking up one of his merriest tunes, he soon had all the lads and la.s.ses capering and frisking about before him, True Blue being the most lively and active of them all. Never did his heart and heels feel so light as he bounded up and down the room with Mary by his side, sometimes grasping her hands, and sometimes whirling round and round, while both were shrieking and laughing in the exuberance of their spirits.

He felt as if a load had been taken off his mind. Once more he was among his old friends and a.s.sociates, and, without confessing the fact to himself, he infinitely preferred being with them to enjoying all the luxury and refinement which Lady Elmore's house in London had afforded.

So the days flew rapidly by till the party of seamen had once more to rejoin their s.h.i.+p.

She was bound for the Mediterranean. The first port they entered was Toulon. The town and the surrounding fortifications were held by the Royalists, aided by British, Spanish, Sardinians, and Neapolitan troops, and strong parties of seamen from the English and Spanish squadron. The Republican troops were besieging the place, vowing vengeance against their countrymen who opposed them. Lord Hood, the British Commander-in-Chief, was expecting a reinforcement of Austrian troops to defend the town. He sent some s.h.i.+ps to convey them, but an answer was returned that they could not be spared; and the Republican army having increased rapidly in numbers and gained several posts, a council of war was held to deliberate as to the advisability of longer holding the place. The result was that Toulon must be abandoned. It was the death-knell to thousands of the inhabitants.

Several important objects had to be accomplished. The s.h.i.+ps of war must first be carried out of the harbour, the defenders withdrawn from the batteries, the Royalist inhabitants got off, and, finally, all the French s.h.i.+ps, magazines, and stores which could not be removed destroyed.

It was an anxious and awful period. Between forty and fifty thousand Republican troops were preparing to storm the works, which, covering a vast extent of ground, were defended by less than eleven thousand. Sir Sydney Smith had volunteered to destroy the magazines and s.h.i.+ps.

On the 18th of December, all the troops, having been withdrawn from the forts, were concentrated in the town. Happily the weather was fine and the sea smooth. The enemy had been so severely handled that they advanced cautiously. Among those who volunteered to accompany Sir Sydney Smith was Mr Alston, one of the lieutenants of the _Ruby_. Mr Nott, too, was of his party, as was Abel Bush, and True Blue got leave to go also.

The Neapolitan troops, by their dastardly desertion of the fort of the Mississi, at which they were stationed, nearly disconcerted all the arrangements. Great numbers of the inhabitants had already gone on board the s.h.i.+ps of war.

Sir Sydney Smith had with him the _Swallow_, a small lateen-rigged vessel, three English and three Spanish gunboats, and the _Vulcan_ fires.h.i.+p, under charge of Captain Charles Hare, with a brigade of boats in attendance.

The s.h.i.+ps had got out; the boats of the fleet were waiting to carry off the troops. Already shot and sh.e.l.l from the surrounding heights were beginning to fall thickly into the harbour. The galley slaves in the a.r.s.enal, 800 in number, were threatening to interfere, but were kept in check by the gunboats; the Republicans were descending the hill in numbers, and opening fire with musketry and cannon on the British and Spanish.

Night came on; the fires.h.i.+p, towed by the boats, entered the basin. Her well-shotted guns were pointed so as to keep the enemy in check. The Spaniards had undertaken to scuttle the _Iris_ frigate, which contained several thousand barrels of powder, as also another powder vessel, the _Montreal_ frigate.

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