Chapter 7 - The Lander Routed.
8 September 1804 Dawn *
I HAVE PUT ASIDE MY FOOLSCAP AND MY EFFORTS TO FORM HAVE PUT ASIDE MY FOOLSCAP AND MY EFFORTS TO FORM E EMMA Watson to my liking-a more wrongheaded heroine I have never encountered, so intent is she upon ceding the stage to her spiteful sisters and the ridiculous Tom Mus-grave Watson to my liking-a more wrongheaded heroine I have never encountered, so intent is she upon ceding the stage to her spiteful sisters and the ridiculous Tom Mus-grave1-and taken down this journal once more to record all that has unfolded since yester e"en. I had progressed only so far, in relating the chief of that tumultuous day, when Mr. Dagliesh appeared at my brother Henry"s dispatching. And so I must set down something of how the surgeon"s a.s.sistant came again to Wings cottage.
We had partaken of a little refreshment, and decidedly superior tea-an excellent Darjeeling-in Captain Fielding"s attractive blue and white drawing-room, and had then quitted the house to observe the last slanting rays of sunlight in the gentleman"s garden. Captain Fielding reveals himself as a devotee of the rose, on a scale that rivals the Empress Josephine, for almost the entirety of his grounds is given over to beds of that n.o.ble flower- though sadly for us, well past its blooming.
"But this is charming, Captain Fielding!" my sister exclaimed; among the Austens, she is the true lover of the garden and its healthful exercise, and is possessed of a remarkable taste in the arranging of beds and successive waves of seasonal bloom. "Utterly delightful! And in June, when the roses flower, it must be a veritable Eden!"
"Eden must not be considered as approaching it, Miss Austen," the Captain replied. "For my my garden has no snakes." garden has no snakes."
"But what energy and industry has been here applied!" Ca.s.sandra continued. "And you are not even resident in the place very long."
"No-but where application is steady, and the means exist for the furthering of work, all manner of change may be swifdy effected. I have had teams of men labouring here to rival Crawford"s fossil pits. Where we stand this very moment, was only two years ago a pitiful stretch of downs, replete with scrub heath and the occasional fox den."
"Extraordinary," Lucy Armstrong said quiedy, and gazed around her with a wistful air. "I remember this place some months ago, Captain Fielding, when you entertained us all at dinner. The roses were then in bloom- and a glorious sight it was." She gave me a brief smile, as though lost in a pretty memory, and moved on down the path with my sister.
Captain Fielding offered his left arm, which I gladly accepted, and we followed behind. The Captain employs a walking cane when attempting a greensward, and must progress more slowly as a result, so that Ca.s.sandra and Miss Armstrong were soon at some little distance from ourselves.
"I venture to hope, Miss Jane Austen, that you shall again walk among these flowers, when their scent fills the air with a headiness unequalled, and their petals suggest a grace that can only be found in your lovelier form/" my companion said, in a lowered tone.
I blushed and turned away; for the import of his words was unmistakable. But I affected not to understand him, and said only, "I hope I shall often have reason to visit Lyme. It is a place and a society that has become quite dear to me. To fix one"s residence by the sea, is, I believe, to live in the greatest privilege and the most salubrious circ.u.mstance."
"You dislike Bath, then?"
"Who can feel otherwise, who is consigned to spend the entire year through, in a place destined for pleasure parties and occasional travellers? The sameness, and yet the constant parting with friends, happy in their return to quieter homes; the bustle, and the self-importance, and yet the nothingness of the town; the white glare of its buildings, the fearful drains, the endless parade of the fashionable and the foolish, hopeful of cures from the sluggish waters-no, Captain Fielding, I cannot love Bath. It is become a prison to my spirit, however gilded the trappings of the cage."
"I regret to hear it," he said slowly. "But you will have some weeks yet in Lyme."
"Yes," I said, recovering. "We intend to remain here through November. I cherish every day, and count out those remaining, as though I turn the rarest pearls along a string."
The Captain raised his fair head, and gazed into the distance, his eyes narrowing. "Miss Austenl" he cried. "Miss Armstrong! We are losing the light, I fear, and must turn back."
"And what is that place my sister has come to?" I enquired, in gazing upon a prettyish little wilderness some yards before us.
"It is my temple ruin," Captain Fielding said abruptly, "a colonnade of stone, in wisteria and hedgerose. Your sister has found it necessary to rest some few moments, but she cannot remain there."
I must have looked my surprise at his terse words, so clearly expressive of a proprietary interest in the place, place, rather than in Ca.s.sandra"s state; but in a moment, I understood the cause of Captain Fielding"s distress. rather than in Ca.s.sandra"s state; but in a moment, I understood the cause of Captain Fielding"s distress.
"I must chide myself for an overactive enthusiasm in exhibiting these grounds-and in so vigourous a manner," he said, "for a.s.suredly the walk has proved too much for her delicate health."
And indeed, Ca.s.sandra was slumped upon a bench in an att.i.tude of great fatigue, while Lucy Armstrong searched frantically among her green muslin pockets for what I imagined to be some errant smelling salts. The enquiring eyes of a stone wood nymph, arranged over a little door that stood ajar in the temple"s wall, looked down upon the tableau. That the door shielded an area for the storage of garden implements, I readily discerned; for a huddle of indiscriminate shapes, cloaked in sailcloth, was revealed by the setting sun-and a clever usage it was for a wilderness ruin. Captain Fielding"s house is entirely fitted out with such similarly charming notions- reflective, perhaps, of a man accustomed to tight quarters on a ship. I had observed the snug arrangement of his bookshelves and desk, the latter article having a removable surface for writing in one"s chair, as we earlier pa.s.sed through the library; and indeed, little that the Captain owns is designed purely for ornament, or for a single purpose, serving a variety of duties in ways that are decidedly ingenious. I thought of Frank, whose life is similarly efficient in its organisation, and shook my head fondly at my brother"s plans to marry.2 Mary Gibson should make a sad business of Frank"s tidy habits. Mary Gibson should make a sad business of Frank"s tidy habits.
As we approached, Ca.s.sandra raised her head, her countenance suffused with pain. "I have overtaxed my strength, dearest Jane,"" she said, "and must run the risk of offending you, Captain Fielding, with my plea for a return to Wings cottage."
He turned from securing the door beneath the nymph"s head, and cried, "It shall be done with the greatest dispatch. A moment only is required for the summoning of Jarvis. But tell me, Miss Austen-can you attempt the walk to the house?"
"If Jane will support me on the one hand, and Miss Armstrong on the other, it may be done," Ca.s.sandra replied, and slowly regained her feet with an air of grim resolution. I hastened to her side and suffered her to rest her weight against my shoulder, my arm around her waist and my heartbeat rendered the more rapid by a fearsome anxiety. A quick glance at Captain Fielding revealed the agony of regret that suffused his countenance; and I knew as though he had spoken aloud, that his mind was a turmoil of recrimination and anger at the disability that prevented him from providing greater a.s.sistance. But a lame man, dependent upon a cane for his own support, was hardly likely to serve as a prop for my suffering sister; and so I left him to sort out his manly feelings in peace, and turned my attention where it was the more necessary.
We had progressed perhaps one half the full length of the garden walk, when Ca.s.sandra begged to rest upon a bench; such dizzyness as overwhelmed her, coupled with a throbbing at the temples, nearly dropping her where she stood. I bit my lip, and wished for some greater aid- my brother, perhaps, or even Eliza-while Lucy Armstrong satisfied her tender feelings in repeated enquiries of Ca.s.sandra, and the triumphant production of the smelling salts. At last my sister rose, and managed to regain the house; whereupon Captain Fielding sent for his carriage and bade the housemaid fetch some brandy. This last having been administered, Ca.s.sandra sat back upon the settee with streaming eyes and a choking cough, unaccustomed as she is to strong spirits; and turned to me with all the terror of her infirmity upon her face.
"Jane!" she cried, though her voice was but a whisper; "I had thought myself completely recovered! It was not so very great an injury; the rest of my dear family suffered little from the coach"s overturning; and? am several days removed from the event. And yet my present pain is unbearable. Can it be that I have received a greater knocking than was at first understood? Or that Mr. Dagliesh has mistaken the extent of the malady?"
"Such fretful thoughts cannot improve your prospects for the remainder of our travel home," I said gendy, as the sound of wheels upon the gravel revealed the barouche as even then standing before the door. "We will consult with Mr. Dagliesh as soon as ever we may."
Captain Fielding a.s.sisted us to the carriage with the greatest concern alive upon his countenance, and urged the coachman to achieve his two-miles" journey with all possible speed, though mindful not to jar the lady. And so, with these conflicting orders setded upon his head, poor Jarvis clucked to the horses, and we were off.
The ride itself was uneventful, being spent chiefly in the sort of silence that only arises from great perturbation of spirit; and I sighed with relief as the barouche began the descent into Broad Street, and the cheerful lights of Wings cottage appeared through the growing dusk.
We were not to be afforded the comfort of an uneventful arrival, however-for Ca.s.sandra had only to set foot to paving stone, before crumpling in a faint upon the ground.
AND SO MR. DAGLIESII WAS SUMMONED AT THE BEHEST OF MY brother Henry, who was even then within the cottage awaiting our return, the better to give his fondest adieux-for he and Eliza depart for Weymouth today, to tour the town and observe the embarkation of the Royal Family. brother Henry, who was even then within the cottage awaiting our return, the better to give his fondest adieux-for he and Eliza depart for Weymouth today, to tour the town and observe the embarkation of the Royal Family.3 From thence they should travel to Ibthorpe, and by a leisurely route return to No. 16 Michael"s Place, and their neat little home. But at the outcry and bustle from the very gate, my dear brother rushed to our a.s.sistance; and his anxiety was the more extreme, from being motivated by surprise. Miss Armstrong and 1 were more sanguine, having journeyed in some antic.i.p.ation of the event. From thence they should travel to Ibthorpe, and by a leisurely route return to No. 16 Michael"s Place, and their neat little home. But at the outcry and bustle from the very gate, my dear brother rushed to our a.s.sistance; and his anxiety was the more extreme, from being motivated by surprise. Miss Armstrong and 1 were more sanguine, having journeyed in some antic.i.p.ation of the event.
I may say that Mr. Dagliesh was very very angry; he regarded us all as having precipitated a dangerous relapse, by our determination to force Ca.s.sandra over-early into activity; and he ordered the strictest quiet, the administration of broth, and the application alternately of ice and warm compresses, for the relief of my sister"s throbbing temples. The poor surgeon"s a.s.sistant stood some few minutes by her bedside, holding her wrist between his fingers as though intent upon her pulse; but I knew him to be utterly inattentive to the flutter of Ca.s.sandra"s heart, so clearly were his thoughts fixed upon the agony within his own. angry; he regarded us all as having precipitated a dangerous relapse, by our determination to force Ca.s.sandra over-early into activity; and he ordered the strictest quiet, the administration of broth, and the application alternately of ice and warm compresses, for the relief of my sister"s throbbing temples. The poor surgeon"s a.s.sistant stood some few minutes by her bedside, holding her wrist between his fingers as though intent upon her pulse; but I knew him to be utterly inattentive to the flutter of Ca.s.sandra"s heart, so clearly were his thoughts fixed upon the agony within his own.
He departed not long thereafter, in search of some ice from the Golden Lion, and a.s.suring us of his return at the earliest hour of the morning; and it remained only for us to determine the wisest course. The consultation of Dagliesh"s superior, Mr. Carpenter, was much canva.s.sed, and rejected by my mother, who had learned something to that gendeman"s detriment from a recent Lyme acquaintance, one Miss Bonham, who claimed a persistent nervous fever. Henry at last voiced the thought chief within all our minds-that Ca.s.sandra should accompany himself and Eliza on their return to London, that trip being expedited by the amendment of the plan, and a determination to proceed with all possible swiftness towards Michael"s Place; for the opinion of a physician, with all the experience of a city practice, should be solicited as soon as possible. My father agreed; my mother lamented and groaned at this loss of her favourite; and I felt a pang at the loneliness I should undoubtedly feel in Ca.s.sandra"s absence.
"Should not I accompany you, Henry, the better to nurse my sister?" I asked, in a lowered tone, as my mother hastened to the kitchen for a warm poultice.
"Eliza shall amply supply your place, Jane; for, you know, she was many years in attendance upon poor Hastings.4 Better that you remain to comfort my mother and father." Henry smiled and patted my arm. "Despite the events of this evening, I do not believe Ca.s.sandra to be in any real danger; a bit of peace and quiet, and restorative sleep, shall soon reverse the indifferent state of her health." Better that you remain to comfort my mother and father." Henry smiled and patted my arm. "Despite the events of this evening, I do not believe Ca.s.sandra to be in any real danger; a bit of peace and quiet, and restorative sleep, shall soon reverse the indifferent state of her health."
I GAZE UPON HER NOW, AS SHE SLUMBERS SHLL SHLL JN THE EARLY WATCH of morning, and pray that it may be so. In a few hours she shall be torn from me, and all the delightful prospects of our Lyme visit o"erthrown; I shall have no one but Miss Armstrong for rambling the Cobb, or climbing the chasms of the Pinny, and my solitary visits to Mr. Milsop"s glove counter shall be melancholy indeed. Poor Mr. Dag-liesh shall feel it acutely, I am afraid-but Ca.s.sandra was afforded little time to return him anything but grat.i.tude, for his attentive and solicitous care; a deeper emotion- an emotion capable of displacing the unfortunate Tom Fowle in her heart-would require such lightness of spirit and limitless days as are presently denied her. JN THE EARLY WATCH of morning, and pray that it may be so. In a few hours she shall be torn from me, and all the delightful prospects of our Lyme visit o"erthrown; I shall have no one but Miss Armstrong for rambling the Cobb, or climbing the chasms of the Pinny, and my solitary visits to Mr. Milsop"s glove counter shall be melancholy indeed. Poor Mr. Dag-liesh shall feel it acutely, I am afraid-but Ca.s.sandra was afforded little time to return him anything but grat.i.tude, for his attentive and solicitous care; a deeper emotion- an emotion capable of displacing the unfortunate Tom Fowle in her heart-would require such lightness of spirit and limitless days as are presently denied her.
And what of myself? Exists there the seed of feeling, that I might try what limitless days and lightness of spirit may do? And if there be a seed-in whose favour planted?
I had occasion to lie awake much of the night in contemplation of the vagaries of the heart-due, perhaps, to the shallow breathing of my sister tossing beside me, or perhaps to the contrariety of my own heart"s impulses. 1 have ever been possessed of too pa.s.sionate a nature, however I would cloak it in a general appearance of sobriety and sense. It has led me to care too readily and too deeply, for men whose circ.u.mstances are utterly unequal to my own-being separated the one from the other by either a gulf in fortune, or a disparity in nature that does not recommend of happiness. Geoffrey Sidmouth belongs most clearly to the latter. A more reasonable woman should give her heart without reservation to the gallant Captain, whose apparent good nature, firm principles, and forthright contempt for all that is ign.o.ble, proclaim him to be the stuff of which England is made. And yet my heart is unmoved by Percival Fielding; I find him possessed of intelligence and integrity, and wish him more blessed by cleverness and good humour.
And beyond all this, is a something more more-a want of that which I cannot quite define. The Captain speaks and behaves entirely as he ought; and yet I cannot feel that he is open. There is an affectation affectation of openness-he was surely frankness itself yesterday, in discussing the smugglers" affairs-and yet I have the creeping certainty that he is open by design, and of openness-he was surely frankness itself yesterday, in discussing the smugglers" affairs-and yet I have the creeping certainty that he is open by design, and that that only when it suits his purpose. only when it suits his purpose.
Geoffrey Sidmouth, on the contrary, is neither open nor secretive; that gentleman is merely the master of his own business. His His emotions are so hardly checked, as to be almost transparent; one will always know where one emotions are so hardly checked, as to be almost transparent; one will always know where one is, is, though utterly confounded as to though utterly confounded as to why. why. His is an eager, a forthright, temperament; and even in his blackest moments-when I find nothing easier than to mistrust his purpose-I know myself to be in the presence of the man. With Captain Fielding, one is ever in the presence of a caricature. Even his gallantries are studied. His is an eager, a forthright, temperament; and even in his blackest moments-when I find nothing easier than to mistrust his purpose-I know myself to be in the presence of the man. With Captain Fielding, one is ever in the presence of a caricature. Even his gallantries are studied.
I had reason to consider this but a few hours ago, well before my return to Ca.s.sandra"s still-slumbering form, and the quieter comforts of my pen. I was awakened, as two days before, by a great hallooing along the Cobb; and with a sickening certainty I saw in t?? t?? mind"s eye the ghastly scaffold raised once more, and the lifeless body awash in surf. At the sound of men"s voices I threw back the covers, and hastily exchanged my nightclothes for yesterday"s discarded muslin; a moment"s thought instructed the choice of stout boots over my usual slippers. It required but an instant to descend the stairs as noiselessly as I knew how, and exit Wings cottage. mind"s eye the ghastly scaffold raised once more, and the lifeless body awash in surf. At the sound of men"s voices I threw back the covers, and hastily exchanged my nightclothes for yesterday"s discarded muslin; a moment"s thought instructed the choice of stout boots over my usual slippers. It required but an instant to descend the stairs as noiselessly as I knew how, and exit Wings cottage.
I lifted my trembling eyes to the Cobb"s end-but not a gibbet was to be seen. Along the wide beach that fronts The Walk came a parade of toiling men, casks upon their backs; and great wains were drawn up along the shingle, with the horses full in the water to their very flanks" height. Feeling rather foolish, but nonetheless thoroughly roused, I proceeded along The Walk until I had gained a better view-and espied two galleys, with crews at their oars, bobbing in the very waters where the smugglers" cargo had been dropped the previous day!
"So they would retrieve it, then, as Captain Fielding a.s.serted," I said aloud, in some wonderment; and was rewarded by a reply of sorts, and from my very elbow.
"At an hour when most women should dread to be seen abroad, you are lovelier than I might have imagined, Miss Jane Austen of Bath."
I swifdy turned, in some dismay and confusion, and found Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth on the sand below, seated easily astride a black stallion of fearsome appearance; the animal"s nostrils flared as it chuffed at the wind and tossed its powerful head. I stepped backwards involuntarily, and clasped my arms together, shivering somewhat from the morning"s chill. In an instant Sidmouth had dismounted and secured the horse; and in another, he had divested himself of his cloak and draped it about my shoulders, so swiftly I had not time to protest.
"The breeze is cold off the water at dawn," he said, with an indifferent air. "We cannot have you catch your death, however deserved of your impetuous nature. Dag-liesh has enough to do at Wings cottage."
I swept my eyes the length of his powerful figure, and noted that he was in a similarly-disheveled state. His wine-coloured coat was stained with a dark liquid I could not identify, but took to be spirits; his stock was undone, his jaw unshaven, and his hair decidedly ruffled by long exposure to the wind. He might almost have been abroad the entire night through, and be only now upon his road home, and tarrying by the scene at the water"s edge; and with a sudden blush, I imagined the hours of dissipation now put behind him.
"What brings you to the Cobb, sir?" I enquired. "And at such an hour!"
"I might ask the same of you, Miss Jane Austen of Bath." His voice held too much amus.e.m.e.nt for my fragile pride.
"I thought to observe another unfortunate fisherman, hanged for the Reverend"s sins," I retorted, "and at the hullabaloo below my window, ran out to offer a.s.sistance"
"Singular," Mr. Sidmouth observed coolly. "Very singular indeed. Most women should faint dead away at the mere prospect. But then, you are always a singular personality, Miss Austen. It was just such a sense of purpose in extremity that drove you to my very door, some few days ago."
For this, I had no answer; and we were silent, observing the activity below in the fitful light. The sun was not yet up, and the industrious figures flitted like shadows in a graveyard. Sidmouth"s eyes were narrowed over the sharp hook of his nose, and his lips compressed; and I wondered, as I stole a glance at him sidelong, whether I stood next to the very Reverend, in the act of overseeing his cargo"s landing.
"It is a smuggler"s goods," I said, with the most casual air I could effect; "Captain Fielding and I observed the cutter only yesterday, as it jettisoned those very casks." For the labouring men were wading through the surf with a ma.s.sive barrel suspended from each shoulder, and heaving them into the carts drawn up to the water; and despite the weight of the contraband, as evidenced in their bowed backs, their progress was swift indeed. In but a moment, I imagined, the last of the waggons should be filled, and the horses turned towards some safe place of hiding in the midst of the downs-but would they be welcorned by a girl in a sweeping red cloak, her spigot lant-horn5 held high in the dusky dawn? held high in the dusky dawn?
"Trench brandy." Sidmouth spoke as though remarking upon the weather. "It shall be turned a proper brown in some hole in the woods, and be on its way to London in a very few days.6 But you look stupefied, Miss Austen-surely you knew that French brandy, like the cheeks of so many French ladies, does not win its colour from Nature?" But you look stupefied, Miss Austen-surely you knew that French brandy, like the cheeks of so many French ladies, does not win its colour from Nature?"
"I am simply all amazement, Mr. Sidmouth," I rejoined, "that so much brandy exists. exists. There must be enough in those waggons to keep London afloat for a year!" There must be enough in those waggons to keep London afloat for a year!"
"Or the members of White"s,7 at the very least," the gentleman replied ironically. at the very least," the gentleman replied ironically.
"And what organisation! What dispatch! The Royal Navy should observe these fellows" methods, the better to order their gunnery crews!"
"See there, the one in the blue cap, who stands aloof along the sh.o.r.eline?" Mr. Sidmouth"s face moved closer to my own, and his left arm extended before my nose, the better to distinguish his object. "He is "He is Davy Forely, this crew"s lander; and a better lander is not to be found along the entire Dorset coast." Davy Forely, this crew"s lander; and a better lander is not to be found along the entire Dorset coast."
"And what, pray, is a lander?"
"The fellow employed by the smuggling captain to organise the men on sh.o.r.e," Mr. Sidmouth said patiently. "He it is that recruits them, and pays them, and makes certain they are loyal to the game."
"I had not realised it to be so sophisticated a profession, as to admit of hierarchies," I replied. "Your knowledge of the whole can hardly be to your credit"
He looked at me with some surprise. "I have known these men some few years, and may call them the most honest band of rogues in the entire Kingdom. Indeed, I have had occasion to depend upon their very efficiency and organisation. They have served my ends whenever needed, and saved my life more than once; and 1 should be churlish indeed, did I not offer them the praise that is their due."
"Mr. Sidmouth-" I began, in some perturbation at the import of his words; but my speech was stopped in my mouth, by the appearance on the shingle of a gentleman in a good blue coat, who leaned upon a cane, and observed the proceedings with an air of satisfaction-Captain Fielding, without a doubt, and beside him in the darkling dawn, a stranger to my sight-a short, spare man of wizened appearance, and heavy spectacles, and a protruding lower lip, whose gaze was bent upon the sh.o.r.e"s activity with the bulbous intensity of a frog"s. I had barely noted the Captain"s arrival, in the company of this rare fellow, when the latter raised his arm as though in prearranged signal, and with a cry to harrow the bones of the very dead, a company of dragoons in the bright-hued uniform of the Crown descended upon the beach, bayonets extended, pell-mell into the crowd of burdened men.
"Good Lord!" 1 cried, forgetting myself in the tumult of the moment, "they shall be overrun!"
Sparing neither an oath nor a moment"s hesitation, Mr. Sidmouth unloosed his horse, sprang upon its n.o.ble back, and threw himself down the Cobb to the sh.o.r.eline"s edge, his black hair streaming behind him. Full into the swarm of dragoons and struggling men he rode, lashing to the left and right with his crop. I stood open-mouthed upon The Walk, aghast at his activity; for the King"s men were armed, and I a.s.sumed that Sidmouth was not, any more than the smugglers themselves should bear fire-arms-for to do so, I knew, was punishable by death. Clubs only they had in defence of their illegal trade, and these they brandished; but the threat of ball and powder proved too much, and even the hardiest of the lander"s crew were soon forced to submit, and shuffled downcast from the surf past the triumphant Captain Fielding. I observed that that result of the melee only at its close, however; for I confess the first object of my eyes was Geoffrey Sidmouth and the progress of his plunging horse. result of the melee only at its close, however; for I confess the first object of my eyes was Geoffrey Sidmouth and the progress of his plunging horse.
He forged a path through the tumult, and rode to where the lander, Davy Forely, stood, shouting orders to his routed men; and in an instant, had grasped the fellow"s shirt back and heaved him behind. With a cry and a lash, the stallion sprang forward, and broke from the chaotic scene; but Sidmouth was not to be let slip so easily. Captain Fielding had observed his course, and now harried a party of three dragoons to spring to the pursuit; and with weapons lowered and animal yells loosed from their lips, the men closed in upon the horse"s hindquarters. Forely shouted, and kicked at the faces of the pursuing dragoons; the stallion screamed and reared as Sidmouth struggled with the reins; and as I watched, the master of High Down turned in the saddle, pulled a revolver from his coat, and aimed it, thankfully, in the air. A single ball was fired, and resounded above the duller noises of clubs and bitter oaths; and the dragoons, incredibly, halted where they stood. Mr. Sidmouth is plainly a gendeman, of a higher order than the smugglers" band; and, unlike them, his possession of a firearm could hardly cause comment; but the King"s men were nonetheless amazed. One only shook himself out of his stupor, and levelled a blunderbuss; and though Sidmouth mastered the horse and attempted to flee the shingle, the dragoon let fire a ball. I saw Forely arch his back in pain, his teeth clenched in a terrible grimace; for an instant of suspended breath, I felt certain the lander should slip from the stallion"s heaving flanks; but he proved greater than his wound, and clutched the tighter at Sidmouth, who kicked his horse up the slope with a furious oath. In a very little time, he and his clinging pa.s.senger gained the streets of town, the dragoons outstripped, and vanished from sight.
I heaved a shuddering sigh, and wondered at the racing of my heart; and attempted, as best I could, to quiet the chaos of my mind-until, recollecting how unseemly was my presence in the midst of such brutish behaviour, I turned and hastened back along the Parade towards the safety of Wings cottage. I cared not whether Captain Fielding had observed my silent form, high above the brawling men-I cared not what he thought of its purpose or propriety-I felt only the bitterest anger towards that gen-deman, though for the life of me, I knew not how to reconcile it. The Captain had done what any man of decency and sound principles should should do; he had observed the weighting of the cargo in exactiy that spot by the Cobb, only the previous afternoon, and he had reported the same to the Revenue men at the nearest opportunity. Having received such excellent intelligence as Captain Fielding was able to provide, the dragoons should have been decidedly remiss in failing to apprehend the smugglers; but it smacked, all the same, of the setting of mantraps on purpose to break a poacher"s leg-poor sport indeed, and reflective, in my humble opinion, of a man who delights in mastery at any cost. do; he had observed the weighting of the cargo in exactiy that spot by the Cobb, only the previous afternoon, and he had reported the same to the Revenue men at the nearest opportunity. Having received such excellent intelligence as Captain Fielding was able to provide, the dragoons should have been decidedly remiss in failing to apprehend the smugglers; but it smacked, all the same, of the setting of mantraps on purpose to break a poacher"s leg-poor sport indeed, and reflective, in my humble opinion, of a man who delights in mastery at any cost.
"But Sidmouth is yet free," I murmured, 21s I opened our garden gate, "though he is is the Reverend, without a doubt"; and I swung myself up the path, feeling a sadness and an exhilaration at his reprehensible daring.? opened the cottage door, and stepped inside, to my mother"s open-mouthed regard-and stopped short, overcome with a blush. the Reverend, without a doubt"; and I swung myself up the path, feeling a sadness and an exhilaration at his reprehensible daring.? opened the cottage door, and stepped inside, to my mother"s open-mouthed regard-and stopped short, overcome with a blush.
"Whatever have you got about your shoulders, child? And where have you gone in such a state, so early in the morning?"
"I took a turn along The Walk, Mother," I replied, realising, as I did so, that a smuggler"s cloak was yet warm upon my back. "It is the very soul of a September dawn, and I could not be kept indoors."
"Mind you wake Ca.s.sandra in time for the coach," she called after me, as I mounted the stairs, her puzzlement at my garb replaced by more immediate concerns. I fluttered a hand in the good woman"s direction, and hastened towards the comfort of my room-the heady scents of pipe tobacco and brandy, lingering as they will in fine English wool, aflame in my lungs at every breath.
1 Tom Musgrave, a charmingly vacant womanizer in Tom Musgrave, a charmingly vacant womanizer in Tlie Watsons Tlie Watsons ma.n.u.script, should not be confused with the more finely drawn ma.n.u.script, should not be confused with the more finely drawn Musgrave Musgrave family of family of Persuasion. Persuasion. It was Louisa Musgrove who received a near-fatal head injury in falling from the Cobb-an event that may have been inspired by Ca.s.sandra Austen"s misfortune recounted in this diary. Austen clearly liked the sound of the name and its variations; and her G.o.dmother was Jane Musgrave of Oxfordshire, a relative of her mother"s. - It was Louisa Musgrove who received a near-fatal head injury in falling from the Cobb-an event that may have been inspired by Ca.s.sandra Austen"s misfortune recounted in this diary. Austen clearly liked the sound of the name and its variations; and her G.o.dmother was Jane Musgrave of Oxfordshire, a relative of her mother"s. -Editor"s note.2 Frank Austen had recendy fallen in love with Mary Gibson, a girl of Ramsgate whom Jane found disappointing-she considered her as vulgar as her town. Frank married Miss Gibson in 1805; they had six sons and five daughters before her death in childbirth. - Frank Austen had recendy fallen in love with Mary Gibson, a girl of Ramsgate whom Jane found disappointing-she considered her as vulgar as her town. Frank married Miss Gibson in 1805; they had six sons and five daughters before her death in childbirth. -Editor"s note.3 George III and his retinue made a habit of visiting the Dorset village of Weymouth, where his brother the Duke of Gloucester often stayed. - George III and his retinue made a habit of visiting the Dorset village of Weymouth, where his brother the Duke of Gloucester often stayed. -Editor"s note.4 Henry refers here to his stepson, Hastings de Feuillide, Eliza"s sickly son. The boy died in 1801 at die age of fourteen. - Henry refers here to his stepson, Hastings de Feuillide, Eliza"s sickly son. The boy died in 1801 at die age of fourteen. -Editor"s note.5 A spigot lanthorn is as Austen described it in the first chapter-a curiously shaped lamp designed specifically for signaling. It was tall, cylindrical, and entirely closed except for the spigot projecting from one side, the open end of which could be covered and uncovered by the signaler"s hand, emitdng a blink of light. It was frequendy employed by smugglers. - A spigot lanthorn is as Austen described it in the first chapter-a curiously shaped lamp designed specifically for signaling. It was tall, cylindrical, and entirely closed except for the spigot projecting from one side, the open end of which could be covered and uncovered by the signaler"s hand, emitdng a blink of light. It was frequendy employed by smugglers. -Editor"s note.6 French brandy was considered "raw" when it hit English sh.o.r.es, because it was colorless. The smugglers would mix it widi burnt sugar to give it the deep golden hue the English expected, and probably thinned it with water as well. - French brandy was considered "raw" when it hit English sh.o.r.es, because it was colorless. The smugglers would mix it widi burnt sugar to give it the deep golden hue the English expected, and probably thinned it with water as well. -Editor"s note.7 An exclusive men"s club in Pall Mall. - An exclusive men"s club in Pall Mall. -Editor"s note.
Chapter 8 - Sense, or Sensibility?
Friday, 14 September 1804 *
IT IS ALMOST A SE"ENNIGHT SINCE I I LAST TOOK UP THIS JOURNAL, AND LAST TOOK UP THIS JOURNAL, AND much of import has occurred. I have had a letter of Ca.s.sandra in Weymouth, remarking upon the Royal Family"s embarkation (which she and Eliza failed to witness, on account of a preoccupation with a milliner"s wares), and the lack of ice in the entire town, which cannot have done her aching head much good. I had heard already of both eventualities, for Mr. Crawford had occasion to travel to Weymouth yesterday, and encountered Ca.s.sandra there- and his being able to a.s.sure us that she appears in good looks and improved spirits, somewhat outweighed the pain of our separation, which I am sure she feels as acutely as myself. But she sounds as cheerful as one might, who has been denied the delights of Lyme and her sister"s company, not to mention the anxious attention of Mr. Dagliesh. Of much of import has occurred. I have had a letter of Ca.s.sandra in Weymouth, remarking upon the Royal Family"s embarkation (which she and Eliza failed to witness, on account of a preoccupation with a milliner"s wares), and the lack of ice in the entire town, which cannot have done her aching head much good. I had heard already of both eventualities, for Mr. Crawford had occasion to travel to Weymouth yesterday, and encountered Ca.s.sandra there- and his being able to a.s.sure us that she appears in good looks and improved spirits, somewhat outweighed the pain of our separation, which I am sure she feels as acutely as myself. But she sounds as cheerful as one might, who has been denied the delights of Lyme and her sister"s company, not to mention the anxious attention of Mr. Dagliesh. Of that that gendeman, whose spirits are quite sunk at Ca.s.sandra"s absence, I had occasion to write-but forbore from doing so, in the knowledge that my dear sister and the surgeon"s a.s.sistant are little likely ever to meet again. To convey tidings of his undiminishcd regard, and know how little it might avail Ca.s.sandra in her general loneliness and poor health, seemed nothing more than foolishness. And so when I answered her letter this morning-posted to Ibthorpe, where I believe Henry"s carriage shall convey them this evening-I chattered on cheerfully about the ubiquitous dirt of Wings cottage, and the slovenly Cook, and my own poor efforts to supply Ca.s.sandra"s place, and be useful and keep things in order. I told her a little of the manservant James, a willing and good-hearted young fellow, who is so earnest a student at his letters, that I have undertaken to supply him with my father"s discarded newspapers; and of my own expedition to Charmouth in recent days, for the daring trial of sea-bathing. gendeman, whose spirits are quite sunk at Ca.s.sandra"s absence, I had occasion to write-but forbore from doing so, in the knowledge that my dear sister and the surgeon"s a.s.sistant are little likely ever to meet again. To convey tidings of his undiminishcd regard, and know how little it might avail Ca.s.sandra in her general loneliness and poor health, seemed nothing more than foolishness. And so when I answered her letter this morning-posted to Ibthorpe, where I believe Henry"s carriage shall convey them this evening-I chattered on cheerfully about the ubiquitous dirt of Wings cottage, and the slovenly Cook, and my own poor efforts to supply Ca.s.sandra"s place, and be useful and keep things in order. I told her a little of the manservant James, a willing and good-hearted young fellow, who is so earnest a student at his letters, that I have undertaken to supply him with my father"s discarded newspapers; and of my own expedition to Charmouth in recent days, for the daring trial of sea-bathing.
It was then my occasion to ruminate on last night"s a.s.sembly-which, though pleasant, was not very full for Thursday; the Miss Schuylers were gone away some days, and though their return is imminent, I understand from Mrs. Barnewall that they think of quitting Lyme altogether in the coming week. I was actually honoured in Mr. Crawford"s asking me to dance twice, twice, that gendeman being moved to pity by the dearth of younger fellows in the rooms; though a new, odd-looking man, whom I judged to be Irish by his ease, and in the company of the Honourable Barnewalls, that gendeman being moved to pity by the dearth of younger fellows in the rooms; though a new, odd-looking man, whom I judged to be Irish by his ease, and in the company of the Honourable Barnewalls, might might have asked me-but came to the point of it only as I was quitting the rooms. have asked me-but came to the point of it only as I was quitting the rooms.
Mr. Dagliesh was present in the a.s.sembly from the first moment, until called out by Mr. Carpenter to answer the pressing need of a child scalded in a pan of dishwater. At my entering the rooms, the surgeon"s a.s.sistant was indeed the first acquaintance I perceived-for he hastened to my side, and took my hand so earnesdy, and enquired what news I had of my sister-at which Mr. Crawford intervened.
"Her flight from your ministrations appears to have done her a world of good, Dagliesh, "Mr. Crawford said, with great good humour and a slyly conscious look for the blushing fellow; "I was so very fortunate as to encounter Miss Austen this morning with her party in Weymouth, and found her much improved. I was able to convey the happy intelligence to all her dear family only a few hours ago."
"Happy, indeed, to have been in so lovely a creature"s presence," Mr. Dagliesh murmured, with a distracted air. "I am relieved to find that Miss Austen"s removal did not increase the pain of her injuries."
"My brother Henry"s carriage is so good, and his horses so gentle, that I am sure her pa.s.sage along the coastal roads occurred without incident," I a.s.sured him. "We were sorry, Mr. Dagliesh, that you failed to make your own adieux adieux to my sister; but her departure could not be delayed, as it depended upon die wishes and needs of others; and you to my sister; but her departure could not be delayed, as it depended upon die wishes and needs of others; and you had had said you would attend her very early that morning." said you would attend her very early that morning."
The gendeman stammered, and looked confused; and indeed, seemed in such an agony of emotion, that I in-stantly took pity upon him. "But a surgeon"s days are never his own to command, as my sister and I fully comprehend. You could not, perhaps, have come any earlier."
Mr. Dagliesh had appeared at Wings cottage, in all the disorder of extreme haste, some two hours after Ca.s.sandra"s departure, and his disappointment at the fact suggested that he had been prevented from attending my sister by a sudden interference of events-and that he was quite put out by the loss of his farewell. From his present regret, I received a further conviction of my supposition"s truth.
"I was called away suddenly-an injury of some moment-and with no other a.s.sistance available," he said, somewhat brokenly. "Not for anything but the direst circ.u.mstance should I have neglected to offer my compliments to Miss Austen. Pray convey them to her at the nearest opportunity, and I shall be the better for having attempted to make amends. I draw some comfort from the news that she is much improved; it is all that I could wish for."
"You are too good," I said gently. "I am sure that the knowledge of your heartfelt regard has furthered her recovery."
The poor gendeman was so much overcome by this notion, as to be rendered almost insensible for several moments; and though he collected himself enough to request my hand for the first dance, he was called away not long thereafter, and so our mutual expectation of felicity-mine, in being so soon solicited, and his, in the prospect of discussing nothing but Ca.s.sandra for a full half-hour-were all overthrown.
The circle was somewhat enlivened by the appearance of Miss Lucy Armstrong"s father and mother-enlivened by the opportunity their presence afforded, of observing how heartily they are disliked by Miss Crawford. The Armstrongs have come down from Bath (by the terrible post chaise), expressly to retrieve poor Lucy from her summer idyll-and upon my word, idyll it must have been, with all its trials, in comparison to her usual society-for the parents are of a vulgar turn, quite apparent in Mrs. Armstrong"s choice of gown, a brilliant yellow silk with black jet beads running the length of her very lengthy train1- unsuitable for September, and particularly for Lyme. The lady"s manner does not improve upon further acquaintance, for when I visited Lucy yesterday morning-being desperate for female society in the absence of my dear sister-Mrs. Armstrong sat darning a sock the entire time I was present, and seemed quite given to conversing with herself, through a series of exclamations and sighs, re garding the poor quality of Miss Crawford"s housemaid. I do not believe she heard above half a dozen words that pa.s.sed. But my own mother is little better-being equally adept at self-distraction-and I must desist from mocking the habits of others, others, lest my derision come home to roost. lest my derision come home to roost.
Miss Armstrong and I soon abandoned her parents for a walk along the Cobb, and the exercise and mutual pleasure in each other"s society soon raised our spirits. The girl is a poor subst.i.tute for Ca.s.sandra or Eliza, but her understanding improves the further she flees from Miss Crawford"s sharp tongue; she is conversable in a common way, though I perceive neither wit nor genius. Lucy is possessed of sense, and some degree of taste; and unlike her mother or aunt, her manners are most engaging. I must believe it is this this quality-a general air of agreeabil-ity-that endears her to Mr. Sidmouth; for that he admires her-though to what degree I cannot be certain-is evident in the attention he continues to pay her. quality-a general air of agreeabil-ity-that endears her to Mr. Sidmouth; for that he admires her-though to what degree I cannot be certain-is evident in the attention he continues to pay her.2 I had occasion to observe the gentleman rogue of High Down at the a.s.sembly last evening, for Mr. Sidmouth appeared towards the close of the ball, and well after my father had departed with James and his lanthorn for Wings cottage-disappointed in his hopes of playing at loo, my mother being for commerce, and Captain Fielding moved to affect his att.i.tude of le Chevalier, le Chevalier, by gallantly acceding to her request that he partner her at the table. In the event, they divided the pot between them-a testament, I fear, to Captain Fielding"s superior understanding; for when my mother plays with another as equally p.r.o.ne to forgetfulness as herself, she rarely triumphs in so prosperous a fashion. by gallantly acceding to her request that he partner her at the table. In the event, they divided the pot between them-a testament, I fear, to Captain Fielding"s superior understanding; for when my mother plays with another as equally p.r.o.ne to forgetfulness as herself, she rarely triumphs in so prosperous a fashion.
But now to Mr. Sidmouth-who, I declare, is possessed of the greatest sang-froid, sang-froid, in parading himself before the very society that must have observed his embattled flight a few dawns previous. He was as cool and collected as ever, bowing with frigid gentility in Captain Fielding"s direction; and being prevented from partnering myself in the first two dances, by my engagement to Mr. Crawford, he soon made himself available to Miss Armstrong, who was glad enough to take his hand. He was all that could be desired in a partner; he danced well, did not confuse the figures, or trample her pale blue slippers; he attempted to converse, and from what s.n.a.t.c.hes I overheard, kept the talk in a general way; but the fact of his attention seemed to overwhelm his fair partner. I observed that she spent the better part of the hour consigned to his company, with downcast eyes and a scarlet throat- Ah! The delicate sensibility of nineteen! in parading himself before the very society that must have observed his embattled flight a few dawns previous. He was as cool and collected as ever, bowing with frigid gentility in Captain Fielding"s direction; and being prevented from partnering myself in the first two dances, by my engagement to Mr. Crawford, he soon made himself available to Miss Armstrong, who was glad enough to take his hand. He was all that could be desired in a partner; he danced well, did not confuse the figures, or trample her pale blue slippers; he attempted to converse, and from what s.n.a.t.c.hes I overheard, kept the talk in a general way; but the fact of his attention seemed to overwhelm his fair partner. I observed that she spent the better part of the hour consigned to his company, with downcast eyes and a scarlet throat- Ah! The delicate sensibility of nineteen!
I wish I could find it in myself to envy Miss Armstrong; I should like to strike the att.i.tude of a slighted heroine, and languish in forsaken love for one or another of the gentlemen thrown in my way; but she is too pale a figure for compet.i.tion. I am convinced, upon reflection, that Mr. Sidmouth enjoys her company as he might that of a flower found along the roadside-there is little of heat or intensity in his regard. He is not the sort of man for an easy pa.s.sion.
"Sidmouth!" Mr. Crawford cried, in approaching his friend at the dance"s close. "How comes your lovely cousin not to grace the rooms this evening? And T do not recall that she was with us last week, or the week before, if it comes to that. It is too bad of you! We must have must have Mademoiselle LeFevre, if Lyme is to aspire to any real elegance!" Mademoiselle LeFevre, if Lyme is to aspire to any real elegance!"
"I regret that my cousin is indisposed this evening,"" Sidmouth returned, with a slight bow and a formal air; "but I shall convey to her your sentiments, which cannot but be pleasing."
"And she must must get out, eh? It has been an age since I have seen her-or, more to the point, been delighted by her singing! Come now. You cannot keep her at home in this stupid manner," Crawford said, with a jocular glance for me. "I am to have a smallish dinner party Sat.u.r.day e"en-a sort of farewell for my Lucy-and you shall both come. Mademoiselle LeFevre"s indisposition, I trust, will be but a trifling matter in four-and-twenty hours?" get out, eh? It has been an age since I have seen her-or, more to the point, been delighted by her singing! Come now. You cannot keep her at home in this stupid manner," Crawford said, with a jocular glance for me. "I am to have a smallish dinner party Sat.u.r.day e"en-a sort of farewell for my Lucy-and you shall both come. Mademoiselle LeFevre"s indisposition, I trust, will be but a trifling matter in four-and-twenty hours?"
"I may not presume to say. But I shall provide her with the opportunity to choose-and try whether the delights of Darby exceed those of High Down."
"Capital! I shall order a couple of dozen ducks killed on the strength of it-for Mademoiselle cannot give up a dinner at Darby; I am sure of it The Austens, of course, shall be there"-this, with a bow for me-"and one or two others. Capital!"
And so Mr. Crawford moved on, issuing invitations as he went, and leaving me to the mercies of Mr. Sidmouth, who gave me a long look and the barest suggestion of a smile.