Part 25 (2/2)
With the two bottles in his hands, the chaplain returned to the professors' cabin. Mr. Lowington was on deck. He did not deem it prudent to leave the s.h.i.+p in the hands of the students, at first, without any supervision, and it was arranged that the princ.i.p.al, Mr. Fluxion, and Mr. Peake, the boatswain, should take turns in observing the course and management of the vessel. Mr. Agneau carried the prize he had captured on deck, and informed Mr. Lowington what had just transpired in the brig.
”I knew the boy drank wine when he was at home,” replied the princ.i.p.al; ”and if he is ruined, his father must blame himself.”
”But it is really shocking!” exclaimed the chaplain as he tossed one of the bottles of wine over the rail. ”How can a parent permit his son to drink wine, when he knows that more men are killed by intemperance than by war and pestilence? I am amazed!”
”So am I, Mr. Agneau.”
”The boy is hardly to blame for his conduct, since he contracted this vicious habit under the eye of his father.”
”The discipline of the s.h.i.+p must be preserved.”
”Certainly, Mr. Lowington.”
”And the boy is just as much to blame for his act of disobedience as though it had been done in his sober senses.”
”But you can afford to pardon him, under the circ.u.mstances.”
”I will do that when he is willing to make a proper acknowledgment of his offence in the presence of the s.h.i.+p's company, before whom the act was committed.”
”He is quite ready to do so now.”
”If he will say as much as that to me, he shall be released at once.”
”He will, sir.”
”It is very strange to me that I noticed nothing peculiar in the boy's speech or manner at the time,” added the princ.i.p.al. ”He certainly did not seem to be intoxicated.”
”Probably he had taken just enough to inflame his evil pa.s.sions, without affecting his manner,” suggested the chaplain.
”I did not even discover the odor of wine upon him.”
”Perhaps you did not go near enough to him. If you please, Mr.
Lowington, we will go down and see him; and you can judge for yourself whether or not it is prudent to release him.”
”I will.”
”Thank you, sir. I feel a deep interest in the young man, and I hope he may yet be saved.”
When Mr. Agneau left the brig, after his second visit, Wilton, who was very anxious to know what Shuffles meant by ”making a chain,” came out of his mess room. He had been watching the chaplain, and wondering what the prisoner could have to say to him.
”What's up, Shuffles?” asked Wilton, when Mr. Agneau had left the steerage.
”I've been smoothing him down,” laughed Shuffles, with an audible chuckle. ”I have concluded not to stay in here any longer.”
”What do you mean?”
”I'm coming out pretty soon, though it has cost me a bottle and a half of old sherry to get out,” laughed Shuffles.
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