Part 3 (1/2)
CHAPTER FOUR.
LIFE AT LEIGH HALL--THE LAUNCH OF THE ”ARRANDOON”--TRIAL TRIPS--A ROW AND A FIGHT--”FREEZING POWDERS.”
As the owner of a large house, the head of a county family, and a landed proprietor, there were many duties devolved upon Ralph Leigh when at home, from which he never for a moment thought of shrinking. Though a great part of the day was spent in shooting, rowing, or fis.h.i.+ng, the mornings were never his own, nor the evenings either. He had a knack of giving nice dinners, and young though he was, he also possessed the happy knack of making all his guests feel perfectly at home, so that when carriages drew round, and it was time to start for their various homes, everybody was astonished at the speed with which the evening had sped away; and that was proof positive it had pa.s.sed most pleasantly.
They kept early hours at Leigh Hall, and so they did at every house all over the quiet, romantic country, and no doubt they were all the better for it, and all the more healthy.
But our heroes must be forgiven, if, after the last guest had gone, after the lights were out in the banqueting hall, and the doors closed for the night, they a.s.sembled in a cosy, fire-brightened room upstairs, all by their three selves, for a quiet confab and talk, a little exchange of ideas, a little conversation about the days o' auld lang syne, and their hopes of adventures in the far north, whither they were so soon to sail.
About once a fortnight, McBain, whom we may as well call Captain McBain now--Captain McBain, of the steam yacht _Arrandoon_--used to run down to Leigh Hall to report progress; the ”social hour,” as Rory called it, was then doubly dear to them all, and I'm not at all sure that they did not upon these occasions steal half an hour at least from midnight. You see they were very happy; they were happy with the happiness of antic.i.p.ation. They never dreamt of failure in the expedition on which they were about to embark.
”In the lexicon of youth, which fate reserves For a great manhood, there is no such word as--fail.”
True, but had they known the dangers they were to encounter, the trials they would have to come through, brave as they undoubtedly were, their hearts might have throbbed less joyfully. They had, however, the most perfect confidence in each other, just as brothers might have. The friends.h.i.+p, begun long ago between them, cemented, during the cruise of the _s...o...b..rd_, in many an hour of difficulty and danger--for had they not come through fire and death together?--was strengthened during their residence at Leigh Hall. Indeed, it would not be too much to say that their affection for each other was brotherly to a degree. Dissimilar in character in many ways they were, but this same dissimilarity seemed but to increase their mutual regard and esteem. Faults each one of them had--who on this earth has not?--and each could see those of the other, if he did not always notice his own. Says Burns--
”O would some power the giftie gie us, To see ourselves as others see us, It would from mony a fautie free us.”
Probably, individually they did not forget these lines, and so the one was most careful in guarding against anything that might hurt the feelings of the others. Is not this true friends.h.i.+p?
But as to what is called ”chaff,” they had all learned long ago to be proof against that--I'm not sure they did not even like it; Rory did, I know; he said so one day; and on Allan asking him his reason, ”My reason is it?” says Rory; ”sure enough, boys, chaffing metres with laughing; where you find the chaff you find the laugh, and laughing is better to a man than cod-liver oil. And that's my reason!”
And Rory's romantic sayings and doings were oftentimes the subject of a considerable deal of chaff and fun; so, too, was what the young Irishman was pleased to call Ralph's English ”stolidity” and Allan's Scottish fire and intensity of patriotism; but never did the blood of one of our boys get hot, never did their lips tighten in anger or their cheeks pale with vexation.
Just on one occasion--which I now record lest I forget it--was boy Rory, as he was still affectionately called, very nearly losing his temper under a rattling fire of chaff from Allan and Ralph, who were in extra good spirits. It happened months after they had sailed in the _Arrandoon_. All at once that day Rory grew suddenly quiet, and the smile that still remained on his face was only round the lips, and didn't ripple round the eyes. It was a sad kind of a smile; then he jumped up and ran away from the table.
”We've offended him,” said Allan, looking quite serious.
”I hope not,” said Ralph, growing serious in turn.
”I'll go and look him up;” this from Allan.
”No, that you won't!” put in McBain.
”Leave boy Rory alone; he'll come to presently.”
Meanwhile, ridiculous as it may seem, Rory had sped away forward to the dispensary, where he found the doctor. ”Doctor, dear,” cried Rory, ”give me a blue pill at once--a couple of them, if you like, for sure it isn't well I am!”
”Oh!” said the surgeon, ”liver a bit out of order, eh?”
”Liver!” cried Rory; ”I know by the nasty temper that's on me that there isn't a bit of liver left in me worth mentioning! There now, give me the pills.”
The doctor laughed, but Rory had his bolus; then he came aft again, smiling, confessing to his comrades what a ninny he had very nearly been making of himself. Just like Rory!
The bearing of our young heroes towards Captain McBain was invariably respectful and affectionate; they both loved and admired him, and, indeed, he was worthy of all their esteem. In wealth there is power, but in wisdom worth, and Ralph, Rory, and Allan felt this truth if they never expressed it. McBain had really raised himself to the position he now held; he was a living proof that--
”Whate'er a man dares he can do.”
I will not deny, however that McBain possessed a little genius to begin with; but here is old Ap, once but a poor boat-builder, with never a spark of genius in him, superintending the construction of a n.o.ble s.h.i.+p.
In him we have an example of industry and perseverance pure and simple.
The _Arrandoon_ made speedy progress on the stocks, and the anxious day was near at hand when she would leave her native timbers, and slide gracefully and auspiciously it was to be hoped, into the smooth waters of the Clyde.