Part 12 (1/2)

”Oh! There is a proviso already.”

”I grant that there should not have been any, as I am sure that you would not ask me to do anything which is wrong. And my proviso was, that I did not undertake what my conscience did not approve.”

”Your proviso was good, Mr Elrington, for when a woman would persuade, a man should be particularly guarded that he is not led into error by a rash promise. I think, however, that we are both agreed upon the point.

I will therefore come at once to what I wish you to do. It is the intention of my father, in the course of a few days, when you shall have accomplished your year of service, to offer to take you into partners.h.i.+p; and I am certain it will be on liberal terms. Now I wish you to refuse his offer unless he gives up privateering.”

”I will do so at all risks, and I am truly glad that I have your encouragement for taking such a bold step.”

”I tell you frankly that he will be very indignant. There is an excitement about the privateering which has become almost necessary to him, and he cares little about the remainder of his speculations. He is so blind to the immorality to which it leads, that he does not think it is an unlawful pursuit; if he did, I am sure that he would abandon it.

All my persuasion has been useless.”

”And if a favourite and only daughter cannot prevail, what chance have I, Miss Trevannion?”

”A better chance, Mr Elrington; he is partial to me, but I am a woman, and he looks upon my observations as a woman's weakness. The objections raised by a man, a young man, and one who has so long been actively engaged in the service, will, therefore, carry more weight; besides, he has now become so accustomed to you, and has had so much trouble taken off his hands, and, at the same time, has such implicit confidence in you, that I do not think, if he finds that he has to choose between your leaving him and his leaving off privateering, he will hesitate in relinquis.h.i.+ng the latter. You have, moreover, great weight with him, Mr Elrington; my father is fully aware of the deep obligation he is under to your courage and self-devotion in the affair of the Jacobite refugees. You will, therefore, succeed, if you are firm; and, if you do succeed, you will have my grat.i.tude, if that is of any importance to you; my friends.h.i.+p you know you have already.”

The entrance of Mr Trevannion prevented my reply. We had been waiting for his return from a walk, and dinner had been ready some time. ”I have just seen some of the men of the Arrow,” said Mr Trevannion, taking off his hat and spencer, ”and that detained me.”

”Has Captain Levee arrived, then, Sir?” said I.

”No; but he has sent in a prize--of no great value--laden with light wares. The men in charge tell me he has had a rough affair with a vessel armed _en flute_, and that he has lost some men. Your brother Philip, as usual, is wounded.”

I should here observe, that during the year which had pa.s.sed away the two privateers had been several times in port--they had met with moderate success, barely sufficient to pay their expenses; my brother Philip had always conducted himself very gallantly, and had been twice wounded in different engagements.

”Well, Sir,” replied I, ”I do not think that the loss of a little blood will do any harm to such a hot-headed youth as Master Philip; but I hope in a short time to give him an opportunity of shedding it in the service of the king, instead of in the pursuit of money. Indeed,” continued I, as I sat down to table, ”the enemy are now so cautious, or have so few vessels on the high seas, that I fear your privateering account current will not be very favourable, when balanced, as it will be in a few days, notwithstanding this cargo of wares just arrived.”

”Then we must hope better for next year,” replied Mr Trevannion. ”Amy, my dear, have you been out to-day?”

”Yes, Sir; I was riding for two hours.”

”Have they altered your pillion yet?”

”Yes, Sir; it came home last night, and it is now very comfortable.”

”I called at Mrs Carleton's, who is much better. What a fop that Mr Carleton is--I don't know what scented powder he uses, but it perfumed the whole room. Had not Mrs Carleton been such an invalid, I should have opened the window.”

Mr Trevannion then turned the conversation to some political intelligence which he had just received, and this engaged us till the dinner was over, and I returned to the counting-house, where I found the men who had brought in the prize, and who gave me a letter from Philip, stating that his wound was of no consequence.

The communication of Mr Trevannion took place, as his daughter had a.s.sured me it would, on the anniversary of my entering into Mr Trevannion's counting-house. After dinner, as we, as usual, were smoking our pipes, Mr Trevannion said: ”Elrington, you have been with me now one year, and during that time you have made yourself fully master of your business;--much to my surprise, I acknowledge, but still more to my satisfaction. That I have every reason to be satisfied with you, you may imagine, when I tell you that it is now my intention to take you into partners.h.i.+p, and I trust by my so doing that you will soon be an independent man. You know the capital in the business as well as I do. I did say an eighth, but I now propose to make ever to you one-fourth, and to allow your profits of every year (deducting your necessary expenses) to be invested in the business, until you have acquired a right to one half. Of future arrangements we will speak hereafter.”

”Mr Trevannion,” replied it, ”that I am truly grateful for such unexpected liberality I hardly need say, and you have my best thanks for your n.o.ble offer; but I have scruples which, I must confess, I cannot get over.”

”Scruples!” exclaimed Mr Trevannion, laying down his pipe on the table.

”Oh! I see now,” continued he, after a pause; ”you think I am robbing my daughter. No, no, the labourer is worthy of his hire, and she will have more than sufficient. You carry your conscientiousness too far, my dear fellow; I have more than enough for Amy, out of the business altogether.”

”I am aware of that, Sir,” added I, ”and I did not, therefore, refer to your daughter when I said that I had scruples. I must be candid with you, Sir. How is it that I am now in your employ?”

”Why, because you had a dislike to privateering, and I had a debt of grat.i.tude to pay.”

”Exactly, Sir; but whether you had been pleased to employ me or not, I had made up my mind, as you well know, from conscientious motives, not to continue on board of a privateer.”