It was late in the evening when they arrived at the villa. The two ladies, sending up their names, earnestly requested that they might be admitted. Mr. Pitt was very much engaged, and could receive no visitors.
"Is Lady Hester at home?" asked Mrs. Barbara. "Her Ladyship may remember me," she observed, turning to Mabel; "if she does, she will, I think, see us, and through her we may press our suit on her uncle."
The two ladies waited anxiously for the return of the servant.
"Lady Hester will see you, ladies," was the reply, and Mabel and her friend descended from the carriage.
They were ushered into a handsome drawing-room, where Lady Hester was seated alone at a writing-table.
"I remember you, Mistress Thornborough," she said, rising and coming forward in a gracious manner. "Tell me, to what cause am I indebted for the honour of this visit?"
"My young friend here will explain it to you," said Mrs. Barbara, now introducing Mabel. "One in whom she is deeply interested has been implicated in the late mutiny at the Nore, and in consequence of proper evidence not having been brought forward which would have proved that he acted under compulsion, he has been condemned to death. We have seen his Majesty, who was acquainted with the young gentleman, and have now come, wishing to see Mr. Pitt, with two seamen of the ship on board which he served, who can clearly prove that he was an unwilling partic.i.p.ator in what took place. Still time is pressing."
"I can hold out but slight hopes of Mr. Pitt"s interference," answered Lady Hester. "He sees the importance of preventing the recurrence of such a mutiny by striking a wholesome terror into the minds of the seamen."
"But surely he would not wish an innocent person to suffer!" exclaimed Mabel. "He can be proved innocent, believe me, your ladyship. The King himself is convinced that he is so. Let me entreat you to beg Mr. Pitt to grant a pardon to this young man."
"You take a warm interest in him," said Lady Hester, looking at Mabel somewhat harshly.
"Yes, indeed I do, I have known him from his youth," answered Mabel.
"He is true and loyal, and would never have aided so dangerous a conspiracy as this appears to have been, to destroy the naval power of England."
Lady Hester seemed to relent as she gazed at the young girl. "I am ready to believe you," she answered, "that this young man is innocent.
Tell me, how came he to be on board ship in the capacity of an ordinary seaman?"
Mabel blushed and hesitated.
"Oh, I see how it was," said Lady Hester; "and now you repent. I will see Mr. Pitt, and give him your statement of the case."
"Then may I beg you to deliver this letter from his Majesty at the same time?" said Mabel, presenting the King"s note.
Lady Hester took the paper, and remarked, as she rose to leave the room, "It may have weight with my uncle, but, at the same time, even the King himself cannot turn him from his will when he has once made up his mind."
Once more the ladies were left in doubt and anxiety. Mabel could not hope much from Lady Hester"s manner. Mrs. Barbara, who had seen her before, argued favourably. Lady Hester was some time absent.
At length the door opened, and she returned, followed by a slightly-built gentleman, scarcely yet of middle age, whose bright eye and broad forehead betokened intellect of no ordinary kind. His manner was somewhat stiff and formal as, bowing to the ladies, who had risen at the entrance of Lady Hester, he took his seat near them.
"You come with a request from his Majesty, I understand, to beg me to interfere in the case of one of the mutineers of the Nore. His Majesty"s commands have always great influence with me; at the same time, you must understand that the matter is one of a most serious character. A great many men have been pardoned who really took a part in the mutiny by supporting their leaders. If the leaders themselves are pardoned, the men will think that, after all, the crime they committed was a slight one," he observed, in a tone of voice which made Mabel"s heart sink within her.
"But, oh! sir," she exclaimed, pressing her hands before her in a pleading att.i.tude, "but this young man, Andrew Brown, for by that name he is known, was not guilty of any evil intentions."
Mabel repeated the statement she had already made to the King.
"You plead his cause earnestly young lady," said the minister, "and right well, too. Let me see these witnesses, and if they give a satisfactory statement, I will recommend the young man as a fit subject for his Majesty"s clemency. I cannot reverse the judgment of the court, you must remember. If that condemned him, condemned he must be, but his Majesty can exert his prerogative of mercy, and both save his life and obtain his release."
"Oh! thank you, sir, thank you," exclaimed Mabel, expressing by her looks more than by her words what she felt.
The minister rang the bell, and ordered the two seamen to be admitted.
In a short time there was a scuffling outside. The door opened, and Jacob Tuttle and Jack Veal appeared, one urging on the other, as if neither liked to be the first to enter. They held their hats in their hands, pulling away at their locks as they would have done addressing an officer on the quarter-deck. Lady Hester looked on with an amused countenance as the minister cross-questioned them as to the part their shipmate had taken in the mutiny.
"He took no part at all, please you, sir, for I don"t call writing letters with a pistol held at a man"s head taking part in the mutiny, and I know for certain that he hated it as much as any one. Besides, sir, when we proposed striking the red flag, and carrying the ship up the river, he heartily joined the loyal part of the crew, and a pretty severe tussle we had, too, before we got possession of the ship and handed it over to the officers."
Jack Veal corroborated what Jacob had said, and Mr. Pitt drew forth a considerable amount of further evidence which satisfied him that if these witnesses spoke the truth, Andrew Brown"s guilt was not of a nature to merit death. At last he turned to Mabel.
"I have no hesitation in recommending his Majesty to pardon the young man in whom you are interested. His story is, I have no doubt, a romantic one, and I do not wish to add to the romance by allowing him to finish his career at the yard-arm. You need have no fear, therefore, young lady, on that score. I will send down a reprieve, and will also give you a paper, which will secure a full pardon for your friend on being signed by his Majesty. I must wish you good evening, and I am glad that my niece, Lady Hester, who is staying with me for a few days, has brought the matter before my notice."
Without waiting to hear the expressions of grat.i.tude which Mabel and Mrs. Barbara felt disposed to pour forth, the great minister left the room. Lady Hester warmly congratulated them on the success of their mission, and a.s.sured them that she cordially sympathised with them.
Jacob, forgetting where he was, on hearing that Harry was to be pardoned, threw up his hat, and in his delight uttered a loud shout exclaiming--
"Bless you, my lady! Bless Mr. Pitt, and the King, and all the Royal Family! If I had as many lives as a cat, I would gladly spend them all in the service of so good a King and so n.o.ble a minister."
On entering the carriage, Mabel sank back into the arms of Mrs. Barbara, and gave way to her feelings in a flood of tears.
"Oh, he will be saved!" she exclaimed; "I scarcely dared hope it till now."
At length Mabel appeared somewhat to recover her composure, and worn out by anxiety of mind and the fatigue she had gone through, at length sank to sleep in the arms of her friend. They did not reach home till a late hour. Scarcely conscious, Mabel was carried to bed. Her dreams were far more happy than they had been for many a day. She and her kind friend looked forward with anxiety to the return of Mr. Kyffin on the following day. He arrived before noon with the intelligence that the governor of the prison had received the minister"s reprieve for Harry.
That afternoon had been fixed for the review of the volunteers in Hyde Park. Mabel felt sure that his Majesty would, if he had an opportunity, immediately sign the pardon which the minister had given her.
It was a lovely day. The sun shone brightly forth from an unclouded sky, and from the various avenues of approach troops marched up to the ground preceded by their bands of music and colours flying--infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The most numerous corps was that of the City Light Horse. Some of the companies, however, were dismounted and marched on foot. Others came in long cars, with their rifles between their knees, while a band of well-equipped hors.e.m.e.n rode up at the head of the regiment, their glittering arms and handsome dresses distinguishing them from the men of other corps. The privates, as well as the officers, were all gentlemen, a considerable number of them men of fortune and independence. One spirit animated every regiment alike-- ardent love of their country, and a determination, if called upon, to fight bravely and to die in her defence.
Mr. Kyffin and Mabel waited for a favourable opportunity of approaching the King, for Mabel"s anxiety would brook no delay, and she was afraid that he might return to Windsor without signing the paper.
At length the King drew up, preparatory to the troops marching past.
The time seemed favourable, as there was an open s.p.a.ce near his Majesty by which she could approach. Dressed in deep mourning, and leaning on Mr. Kyffin"s arm, her countenance radiant with beauty, her colour heightened by excitement, she drew near to the King. One of the equerries observing her, inquired what she wanted.
"It is not the right moment to approach his Majesty," he answered.
The King, hearing what was said, turned his head, and seeing her, exclaimed--
"Ah! my dear young lady, how can I help you? What is it? Will not Mr.
Pitt advise me to pardon the young mutineer?"
"Oh! yes, your Majesty. He has given me a proper doc.u.ment which only requires your Majesty"s signature, but every moment is of consequence.
It is cruel to have him kept in that dreadful prison, and I dread lest by any mistake he may be carried off and executed."
Mabel could scarcely bring herself to utter these words. The King smiled.
"No fear of that, I trust, my sweet young lady, but I will sign the paper. Go and wait for me at Saint James"s; as soon as this affair is over I will come there. Lord So-and-so," he said, turning to one of his equerries, "remind me that I have a paper to sign; it is for that young lady; you will not forget it now."
The equerry turned to Mabel and bowed low.
The colour which had left her cheeks rose again in them, for the look cast on her was full of intense admiration. Mr. Kyffin whispered to Mabel that she must not press the matter further, and bowing to the King, who gave a kind parting word to Mabel, they retired from among the glittering throng of military officers.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
SILAS SLEECH DEPARTS FROM THE SCENE.--HOW MR. SLEECH ENJOYED HIS POSSESSION OF STANMORE.
Prisons even in those days were fearful dens, although considerably improved by the exertions of the n.o.ble Howard. In an ill-ventilated room with grated windows, on a straw pallet, sat a young man. His cheeks had gained the prison paleness. A frown was on his brow, and an expression on his countenance, which betokened numerous bad pa.s.sions.