"That"s exactly the same question that I asked Lord B. when he boarded us," replied Pickersgill, taking off his hat to the ladies.
"Well, but what business have you here?"
"Exactly the same question which I put to Lord B.," replied Pickersgill.
"Where is Lord B., sir?" said Cecilia Ossulton, going up to the smuggler; "is he safe?"
"Yes, madam, he is safe; at least he is in his boat with all his men, and unhurt; but you must excuse me if I request you and the other ladies to go down below while I speak to these gentlemen. Be under no alarm, miss, you will receive neither insult nor ill-treatment--I have only taken possession of this vessel for the present."
"Take possession," cried Hautaine, "of a yacht?"
"Yes, sir, since the owner of the yacht thought proper to attempt to take possession of me. I always thought that yachts were pleasure vessels, sailing about for amus.e.m.e.nt, respected themselves, and not interfering with others; but it appears that such is not the case. The owner of this yacht has thought proper to break through the neutrality and commence aggression, and under such circ.u.mstances I have now, in retaliation, taken possession of her."
"And pray what do you mean to do, sir?"
"Simply for a few days to make an exchange. I shall send you on board of my vessel as smugglers, while I remain here with the ladies and amuse myself with yachting."
"Why, sir, you cannot mean----"
"I have said, gentlemen, and that is enough; I should be sorry to resort to violence, but I must be obeyed. You have, I perceive, three seamen only left: they are not sufficient to take charge of the vessel, and Lord B. and the others you will not meet for several days. My regard for the ladies, even common humanity, points out to me that I cannot leave the vessel in this crippled condition. At the same time, I must have hands on board of my own: you will oblige me by going on board and taking her safely into port. It is the least return you can make for my kindness. In those dresses, gentlemen, you will not be able to do your duty; oblige me by shifting and putting on these." Corbett handed a flannel shirt, a rough jacket and trousers to Messrs. Hautaine, Ossulton, Vaughan, and Seagrove. After some useless resistance they were stripped, and having put on the smugglers" attire, they were handed on board of the _Happy-go-lucky_.
The three English seamen were also sent on board and confined below, as well as Ossulton"s servant, who was also equipped like his master, and confined below with the seamen. Corbett and the men then handed up all the smuggled goods into the yacht, dropped the boat, and made it fast astern, and Morrison having received his directions, the vessels separated, Morrison running for Cherbourg, and Pickersgill steering the yacht along sh.o.r.e to the westward. About an hour after this exchange had been effected the fog cleared up, and showed the revenue cutter hove-to for her boats, which had pulled back and were close on board of her, and the _Happy-go-lucky_ about three miles in the offing; Lord B. and his boat"s crew were about four miles insh.o.r.e, paddling and drifting with the tide towards Portland. As soon as the boats were on board, the revenue cutter made all sail after the smuggler, paying no attention to the yacht, and either not seeing or not caring about the boat which was drifting about in West Bay.
CHAPTER V
THE TRAVESTIE
Here we are, Corbett, and now I only wish my venture had been double,"
observed Pickersgill; "but I shall not allow business to absorb me wholly--we must add a little amus.e.m.e.nt. It appears to me, Corbett, that the gentleman"s clothes which lie there will fit you, and those of the good-looking fellow who was spokesman will, I am sure, suit me well. Now let us dress ourselves, and then for breakfast."
Pickersgill then exchanged his clothes for those of Mr. Hautaine, and Corbett fitted on those of Mr. Ossulton. The steward was summoned up, and he dared not disobey; he appeared on deck, trembling.
"Steward, you will take these clothes below," said Pickersgill, "and, observe, that I now command this yacht; and during the time that I am on board you will pay me the same respect as you did Lord B.; nay, more, you will always address me as Lord B. You will prepare dinner and breakfast, and do your duty just as if his lordship was on board, and take care that you feed us well, for I will not allow the ladies to be entertained in a less sumptuous manner than before. You will tell the cook what I say; and now that you have heard me, take care that you obey; if not, recollect that I have my own men here, and if I but point with my finger, _overboard you go_. Do you perfectly comprehend me?"
"Yes, sir," stammered the steward.
"Yes, _sir!_--What did I tell you, sirrah?--Yes, my lord. Do you understand me?"
"Yes--my lord."
"Pray, steward, whose clothes has this gentleman put on?"
"Mr.--Mr. Ossulton"s, I think--sir--my lord, I mean."
"Very well, steward; then recollect in future you always address that gentleman as _Mr. Ossulton_."
"Yes, my lord," and the steward went down below, and was obliged to take a couple of gla.s.ses of brandy to keep himself from fainting.
"Who are they, and what are they, Mr. Maddox?" cried the lady"s-maid, who had been weeping.
"Pirates!--_b.l.o.o.d.y, murderous stick-at-nothing_ pirates!" replied the steward.
"Oh!" screamed the lady"s-maid, "what will become of us, poor unprotected females?" And she hastened into the cabin, to impart this dreadful intelligence.
The ladies in the cabin were not in a very enviable situation. As for the elder Miss Ossulton (but, perhaps, it will be better in future to distinguish the two ladies, by calling the elder simply Miss Ossulton, and her niece, Cecilia), she was sitting with her salts to her nose, agonised with a mixture of trepidation and wounded pride. Mrs. Lascelles was weeping, but weeping gently. Cecilia was sad, and her heart was beating with anxiety and suspense, when the maid rushed in.
"Oh, madam! oh, miss! oh, Mrs. Lascelles! I have found it all out!--they are murderous, b.l.o.o.d.y, do-everything pirates!!!"
"Mercy on us!" exclaimed Miss Ossulton; "surely they will never dare----"
"Oh, ma"am, they dare anything!--they just now were for throwing the steward overboard; and they have rummaged all the portmanteaus, and dressed themselves in the gentlemen"s best clothes. The captain of them told the steward that he was Lord B., and that if he dared to call him anything else, he would cut his throat from ear to ear; and if the cook don"t give them a good dinner, they swear that they"ll chop his right hand off, and make him eat it without pepper or salt!"
Miss Ossulton screamed, and went off into hysterics. Mrs. Lascelles and Cecilia went to her a.s.sistance; but the latter had not forgotten the very different behaviour of Jack Pickersgill, and his polite manners, when he boarded the vessel. She did not, therefore, believe what the maid had reported, but still her anxiety and suspense were great, especially about her father. After having restored her aunt she put on her bonnet, which was lying on the sofa.
"Where are you going, dear?" said Mrs. Lascelles.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "_Pirates!_--b.l.o.o.d.y, murderous stick-at-nothing _pirates!" replied the steward._]
"On deck," replied Cecilia. "I must and will speak to these men."
"Gracious heaven, Miss Ossulton! going on deck! have you heard what Phoebe says?"
"Yes, aunt, I have; but I can wait here no longer."
"Stop her! stop her!--she will be murdered!--she will be--she is mad!"
screamed Miss Ossulton; but no one attempted to stop Cecilia, and on deck she went. On her arrival she found Jack Pickersgill and Corbett walking the deck, one of the smugglers at the helm, and the rest forward, and as quiet as the crew of the yacht. As soon as she made her appearance Jack took off his hat, and made her a bow.
"I do not know whom I have the honour of addressing, young lady; but I am flattered with this mark of confidence. You feel, and I a.s.sure you you feel correctly, that you are not exactly in lawless hands."
Cecilia looked with more surprise than fear at Pickersgill. Mr.
Hautaine"s dress became him; he was a handsome, fine-looking man, and had nothing of the ruffian in his appearance; unless, like Byron"s Corsair, he was _half savage, half soft_. She could not help thinking that she had met many with less pretensions, as far as appearance went, to the claims of a gentleman, at Almack"s and other fashionable circles.
"I have ventured on deck, sir," said Cecilia, with a little tremulousness in her voice, "to request, as a favour, that you will inform me what your intentions may be with regard to the vessel and with regard to the ladies!"
"And I feel much obliged to you for so doing, and I a.s.sure you I will, as far as I have made up my own mind, answer you candidly: but you tremble--allow me to conduct you to a seat. In few words, then, to remove your present alarm, I intend that the vessel shall be returned to its owner, with every article in it, as religiously respected as if they were church property. With respect to you, and the other ladies on board, I pledge you my honour that you have nothing to fear; that you shall be treated with every respect; your privacy never invaded; and that, in a few days, you will be restored to your friends. Young lady, I pledge my hopes of future salvation to the truth of this; but, at the same time, I must make a few conditions, which, however, will not be very severe."
"But, sir," replied Cecilia, much relieved, for Pickersgill had stood by her in the most respectful manner, "you are, I presume, the captain of the smuggler? Pray answer me one question more--What became of the boat with Lord B.? He is my father."
"I left him in his boat, without a hair of his head touched, young lady; but I took away the oars."
"Then he will perish!" cried Cecilia, putting her handkerchief to her eyes.
"No, young lady; he is on sh.o.r.e, probably, by this time. Although I took away his means of a.s.sisting to capture us, I left him the means of gaining the land. It is not every one who would have done that, after his conduct to us."
"I begged him not to go," said Cecilia; "I told him that it was not fair, and that he had no quarrel with the smugglers."