Vellenaux A Novel, Edmund William Edmund William [reading a book .TXT] 📗

Out Of The Office.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 18

 

Of The Early History Of Sir Lexicon Chutny Very Little Was Known. He Was

Of Dutch Extraction That Was Obvious,  Had Served For A Time In The

Madras Civil Service,  But On Acquiring A Large Property By The Death Of

A Distant Relative,  He Retired From That Service And Settled On One Of

His Plantations In Pallamcotta. How He Obtained His Title No One Knew Or

Enquired,  His Relative,  Now Deceased,  Was So Called,  And In His Will He

Directed That His Heir Should Assume His Name And Rank. He Was

Thoroughly Indian In His Tastes And Habits,  Sensual And Self Indulgent;

Saw Very Little European Society,  And Report Said That He Had Several

Native Mistresses,  And Was Reputed Very Wealthy. He Had Never Married,

For European Ladies At That Period Were Rarely To Be Met With In

Pallamcotta. It Must Have Been Business Of No Ordinary Importance To

Induce Him To Leave The Land Wherein He Had Been Born,  To Visit Hamburg,

Where He Made His Stay As Short As Possible. He Was Not Favorably

Impressed With The Frauleins And Fair-Haired Daughters Of Holland,  And

Was Now Returning Home In The "Great Mogul," A Dutch Indiaman Bound To

Madras.

 

"Wreck On The Lee Bow!" Shouted A Look Out From The Mast-Head. This

Excited Quite A Commotion On Deck,  From Whence The Object Was Soon

Discernable Through The Telescope,  And Soon After By The Naked Eye. The

Ship'S Course Was Altered And She Bore Down Upon The Unfortunate Craft

To Render Such Assistance As Might Be Necessary. She Proved To Be The

Ship "Kaffir Chief," From Cork,  Bound To The Cape; She Had Been

Dismasted In One Of Those Terrific Storms Which So Frequently Occur In

These Latitudes,  And Was Now Lying Completely Water-Logged On The Bosom

Of The Treacherous Ocean. The Day Previous To The Wreck Had Been

Remarkably Fine,  But As Night Closed In The Wind Rose And Continued To

Increase Until It Blew A Perfect Hurricane. In Spite Of The Utmost

Exertions Of The Crew The Sails Were Blown Clear Of The Bolt Ropes,

Yards And Spars Were Carried Away,  When The Foremast Went By The Board

And The Main Topmast Fell With A Crash Into The Sea,  Seventeen Of The

Crew Were Hurled Into The Wild Waste Of Waters. A Little Before Daylight

A Tremendous Sea Struck Her Stern,  Unshipping The Rudder,  Carrying Away

The Wheel,  Round-House And Lockers,  Rendering Her Unmanageable,  And She

Was Tossed Helplessly Like A Log Upon The Mighty Billows. As The Day

Broke The Storm Somewhat Subsided,  A Scene Of Wild Desolation Was

Realized By Those On Board The Unfortunate Vessel,  As The Flashes Of

Broad Sheet Lightning,  With Which The Heavy Clouds Were Surcharged,

Occasionally Shot Forth. The Scene Was Startling And Terrific,  The Wild

Waves Were Breaking Over Her And Three More Of The Crew Were Swept

Overboard. As The Light Increased The Sea Began Gradually To Go Down,

And Spars And Pieces Of Wreck Were Seen Floating All Around,  Lifted Upon

The Surging Waves,  To Which Some Of The Unfortunate Seamen Had Clung

With The Grasp Of Despair,  Only To Be Again Thrown Into The Dark Trough

Of The Sea To Rise No More.

 

Although The Hurricane Had Subsided,  So Much Water Had Been Shipped That

The Pumps Had To Be Kept Continually Going To Prevent The Hull From

Going Down: To This Laborious Task All Had To Exert Themselves To The

Utmost,  And Only By This Means Could The Ship Be Kept Afloat. The

Self-Styled Mrs. Grenville Rendered Good Service In This Hour Of Peril,

She Voluntarily Took The Place Of The Steward,  Now Called To The Pumps,

And Served Out Rations Of Biscuits And Spirits To All Hands,  Nor Did She

Forget Herself On The Occasion. The Danger Of Her Position Appeared In

No Way To Appal Her,  And Having To Undergo No Bodily Fatigue Beyond Her

Strength,  She Was Very Little Affected By The Disasters And Hardships Of

The Past Few Days. Such Of The Officers And Crew As Had Not Been

Swallowed Up By The Boiling Surf Were In a Very Weak And Exhausted

Condition,  Owing To Their Great Labor At The Pumps,  When Rescued From

Their Perilous Position By The Boats Of The "Great Mogul." These

Particulars Were Gathered From Time To Time From Some Of The Crew,  But

From Mrs. Grenville A More Detailed Account Of The Wreck Was Obtained.

That Lady Thought It Necessary To Keep To Her Cabin For The First Week,

During Which Time She Had To Sketch Out A Fresh Plan Of Action For The

Future.

 

This She Soon Effected,  Having Received All The Required Information

From The Little Fat Dutch Stewardess Concerning The Ship,  Its

Destination,  And The Names And Positions Of The Passengers.

 

"My Dear Madam," Said The Polite Captain,  Addressing Mrs. Grenville,

"You Really Must Allow Me To Recommend You To Try An Airing On The

Quarter Deck This Beautiful Morning; After The Long Seclusion Of Your

Cabin You Will,  I Am Sure,  Find It Both Agreeable And Refreshing." In a

Graceful Manner,  And With A Pleasing Smile,  She Replied,

 

"I Shall Be Happy To Adopt Your Suggestion Captain Hanstein,  And If It

Is Not Interfering With Your Professional Duties,  May I Request The

Favour Of Your Arm For A Promenade,  As I Feel Scarcely Equal To The

Effort Unattended."

 

The Captain Bowed And Assisted The Lady To The Quarterdeck.

 

The Indigo Planter,  Who Had Sat Opposite Mrs. Grenville At Breakfast,

Felt Somewhat Annoyed That He Had Not Solicited The Pleasure Of

Accompanying The Lady In Her Walk On Deck; He Had Been Struck With Her

Appearance At First Sight,  For The Widow Knowing The Effect Of First

Impressions,  Had Been Exceedingly Careful With Her Toilette That

Morning,  And Certainly Did Look Her Best.

 

Sir Lexicon Had Never Yet Seen Any One Who Came Up To His Idea Of A

Handsome Woman,  Until He Encountered Mrs. Grenville That Morning; Her

Curling Dark Hair,  Superb Neck And Shoulders,  Stately Figure And

Sparkling Black Eyes,  And Well Modulated Voice Fascinated Him,  As No

Woman As Yet Ever Had Done. She Was Not Young,  It Is True; But This He

Regarded As Fortunate. She Was Still Some Years Younger Than Sir

Lexicon; But As To Who Or What She Was He Was A Stranger; But This He

Was Determined To Ascertain If Possible,  And Betook Himself On Deck For

The Purpose. As The Professional Duties Of The Captain Called Him For A

Time Away,  He Took His Place Beside The Lady And Endeavoured To Interest

Her In His Conversation. He Found Her Charmingly Condescending,  And

Apparently Frank And Friendly In Her Remarks,  And After About An Hour'S

Chit Chat Allowed Him To Conduct Her To Her State Room.

 

Poor Captain Costigan Had Been Killed By A Falling Spar And Knocked

Overboard. The Remainder Of The Crew And Passengers That Had Been

Rescued From Their Precarious Situation On The Wreck Had Been On Board

The "Great Mogul" About A Couple Of Weeks,  When She Let Go Her Anchor In

Table Bay. These,  With The Exception Of Mrs. Grenville,  Went On Shore In

The First Boat That Came Off To The Ship. She,  That Morning,  Had An

Interview With Captain Hanstein,  And Some Hours After The Others Had

Left,  The Obliging Captain Took Her Ashore In His Own Boat,  In Which

Also Sat Sir Lexicon Chutny. He Put Up At The Same Hotel As Mrs.

Grenville,  And Was Seen Escorting Her About Cape Town.

 

The "Mogul" Remained Only Two Days At The Cape,  Then Resumed Her Voyage,

And Mrs. Grenville,  The Captain,  And Sir Lexicon Chutny,  Could Be Seen

Pacing Her Quarterdeck As She Sailed Out Of The Bay,  Unquestionably

Enjoying,  With Much Pleasure,  The Clear,  Balmy,  And Exhilarating Breeze

Of The Early Day,  Which,  With The Assistance Of The Sun'S Rays,  Was

Lifting From The Table Land On The Summit Of The Great Mountain,  Called

Occasionally Table Rock. A Large,  Heavy,  White Cloud That Frequently

Spread Itself Over The Whole Surface,  Resembling Very Much In appearance

An Enormous Table Cloth,  Hence The Origin Of The Name. This Remarkable

Mountain Is Steep,  Rugged And Precipitous,  And Towers Up Hundreds Of

Feet Towards The Clear,  Blue Vault Of Heaven. Very Little Brushwood Or

Vegetation Is To Be Found Thereon. At Its Base,  Snugly Ensconced Under

Its Protecting Shade,  Is Situated Cape Town,  Looking Quite Pretty And

Picturesque As The Day Dawns And The Rising Sun Appears. There Are Two

Other Smaller Elevations In close Proximity To The Table Rock,  Not

Without Interest,  And Called Respectively The Lion'S Head And Lion'S

Rump,  Possibly Because They Are Connected Together By A Ridge Of Rock,

Which,  To The Imaginative Mind,  Gives It The Appearance Of An Enormous

Lion,  Sleeping. The Other Objects Of Interest And The Shipping In The

Harbor Were Soon Left Far Astern.

 

As They Were Sweeping Out To Sea,  The Captain Could,  By The Aid Of His

Glass,  Clearly Distinguish The Signal That Was Flying From The

Flagstaff,  Situated On The Lofty Eminence Mentioned Before,  As The

Lion'S Rump Signalling Station,  Announcing The Approach Of An English

Vessel From London. On Hearing This The Lady'S Face Changed To An Ashen

Hue,  And She Trembled Slightly. It Was For An Instant Only; Her Strong

Will Conquered The Emotion,  And With Her Feelings Now Under Perfect

Control,  She Was Again Conversing And Smiling In The Most Charming

Manner Until Luncheon Was Announced,  To Which She Was Conducted By Sir

Lexicon,  And While Thus Engaged She Felt That She Had Good Cause To

Rejoice That A Fine Swelling Breeze Was Carrying Her Rapidly Away From

The Cape Of Good Hope; For,  Doubtless,  The Newspapers Brought Out By The

New Arrival,  Contained A Full Account Of Sir Ralph'S Death,  And Her Own

Flight From The Country,  And It Was Quite Possible That Some Suspicion

Might Have Fallen Upon Her,  Had She Remained A Day Longer At Cape Town.

 

The Wealthy Planter Of Pallamcotta Was Not The Only Person On Board Who

Had Become Infatuated With The Lively Widow; For In Fact Captain

Hanstein,  The Honest-Hearted Seaman Had Been Caught In Her Toils. He Had

Believed Every Word That Had Been Confidentially Told Him By Mrs.

Grenville,  Her Position In Life,  And Her Reason For Visiting The Cape

And Madras. Of Course There Was Scarcely A Grain Of Truth In The Whole

Statement. She Was Not Long In discovering The Captain'S Weak Point,  And

Rather Encouraged Him Than Otherwise,  But Had No Notion Of Engaging

Herself To The Fat Honest Dutch Skipper. Far From It,  But She Thought It

Necessary To Her Project To Mislead Him On That Point. This Unscrupulous

And Ambitious Woman Cared Not How She Wounded The Feelings Of Others,  If

She Thought By So Doing It Would Further Her Own Interest. She Was

Determined To Secure Sir Lexicon As A Husband,  And Thus Become Lady

Chutny; And So Skillfully Did She Angle,  And Played Her Cards With Such

Great Tact,  That There Was Very Little Doubt Of Her Succeeding.

 

The Dutch Are Naturally Slow Of Action,  And The Planter'S Wooing Was Of

A Rather Passive Character,  And His Attention To The Lady Did Not Excite

The Suspicion Of Her Other Admirer,  Who Did Not Think It Would Be

Necessary To Pop The Momentous Question Until She Was About To Leave The

Ship On Reaching Madras. That Sir Lexicon Was Somewhat Piqued At The

Marked Attention Paid To Her By That Good-Natured Sailor Was Quite

Evident,  And Was Exactly What The Widow Had Anticipated And Desired. She

Played Both Lovers Off,  One Against The Other,  And The Result Proved

That Her Theory And Practice Were Correct; For Sir Lexicon Took

Advantage Of An Opportunity That Was Afforded Him One Afternoon While

Playing Chess With Mrs. Grenville In The After Cabin. They Were Quite

Alone,  And During A Pause In The Game,  He Formally Made Her An Offer Of

Marriage,  Which,  After A Little Skillful Beating About The Bush,  She

Accepted,  But On The Condition That Nothing Should Be Said About The

Subject To Any One On Board. This Was Agreed To,  And The Game Continued.

There Were Other Passengers On Board,  But,  As They Are