University of Virginia Library

3. CHAPTER III.

The corvette sailed from Vera Cruz, and touching at Havanna, proceeded
thence to Gibraltar. She cruised in the Mediterranean for six months—
proceeding to Smyrna and Constantinople. At length, after a year's absence,
she returned home to the United States—entering the Boston harbor.

The morning but one after her arrival in port, the Commodore after

opening his Boston paper and glancing at the ship and naval news, said,
turning to Ben who stood behind his chair:

`So, Ben, the corvette Concord has returned from her cruise up the
straits!'

`Indeed yer honor,' responded Ben with a hitch at his waistband, and
changing his quid from larboard to starboard. `Well it stands to reason
she should be in by this time!'

`Yes, Ben, she reached Boston day before yesterday; all hands well.
But what is that?'

`We are sorry to add that a duel took place between Lieutenant Fordley
and Midshipman Winter, just before the corvette left Mahon, in which
the former was dangerously wounded. A court-martial will probably set
upon the affair.'

`And the young scape-grace ought to be dismissed from the service,'
said the Commodore rashly. Duels are becoming too common in the navy.
Fordley deserved to be wounded for meeting a middy!'

`Some o' the middies, yer honor, look upon themselves as much gentlemen
as the luffs.'

`I know they do Ben, and the leftenants treat them as if they were.
There is no rank in a man-of-war but the ship's rank, and if a middy were
a lord he is but a middy, and I'd d—n his eyes as soon as I would yours,
Ben!'

`Yes, yer honor, it stan's to reason you should.'

`Winter—Winter! It seems to me I've heard of that name, Ben.'

`Yes, yer honor it stan's to reason you have. The widder that lives right
abeam on the larboard bank o' the river—her name's Winter.'

`So it is—and she had a son who went into the navy, so Gracy told me.'

`Yes yer honor; he sailed in the corvette.'

`Then this is he. Fine doings! a midshipman of one year, and shooting
his superior officer in a duel. I hope I may set on that court-martial!'

`It stands to reason yer honor should!'

`Avast there Ben! a'nt this the same sail you saw cruising about here,
sometimes alone and sometimes in company with little Grace?' demanded
the old Commodore repulsing his sea-veteran.

`It's the same craft, yer honor!'

`You told me at the time he'd sheered off and I need'nt fear his falling in
with my little craft any more.'

`Yes yer honor; it was after he'd sailed I told you.'

`Where is Gracy, Ben?'

`She is sittin' in the main cabin window overhauling a printed log-book,
yer honor.' By which, Ben who had given a ship's name to every part of
the mansion, meant to say, Grace was seated in the parlor window reading.

`Tell her to bear down this way, I want to speak to her.'

`Aye, aye, yer honor; but please yer honor, if you are going to communicate
any thing about this middy, just touch upon it soft, yer honor; coz I
know she has a list that way that'll set both pumps agoin' if she's crowded
hard.'

`I guessed it Ben, I guessed it long ago. But she's forgot him by this
time, Ben. Tell her to come along side. This'll show her what colors
he sails under.'

`Aye, Sir.'

The Commodore who was seated in the hall in a leathern arm-chair, with
his left foot wrapped in flannel and gently resting upon a cricket, turned
his attention again to the newspaper.

`Tell father I will be with him in a moment Ben,' said Grace, without
lifting her eyes from the page. One year had passed, and during that time
the blooming girl had far progressed into the loveliness of the woman. She

was a shade taller, and a thought paler, and with an air more tranquil, a
manner fuller of repose and dignity. Love ripens rapidly, not only the
heart and mind, but the person of a young girl She was now surpassing
fair. Her tresses no longer flowed in her neck, but were gathered in a
comb and her smooth hair parted upon her pure brow gave a tone of serene
beauty to the graceful countenance of her face. Her rich hazel eyes
were brighter, larger and more expressive of feeling and emotion; and the
beautiful mouth was no less expressive than the eye, of the thoughts that
moved her soul.

Her affection for the absent lover, instead of decreasing as he had feared,
grew with the lapse of time. She had received four letters from him in the
interval—letters breathing a devotion as deep and artlent as her own. Frank
could not write, however, even to Grace, without expressing in warm language
his surprise at discovering the discourtesy with which he, merely because
his rank on ship-board was inferior, had to submit to from the tempers,
caprices or petty malice of superior officers. Grace sighed on recognising
the existence on ship-board, of this high spirit of insubordination—
to call it by no harsher term—which she had before witnessed as a trait in
his character on shore. In her replies she gently alluded to the subject,
and delicately drew a just comparison between the position of an individual
in a ship of war, and at home; and showing conclusively the necessity
of disipline, of authority to control, of a power to command and elicit obedience.
To these arguments Frank assented in his judgement, but his spirit
rose against the practice. Grace had received her letters through Mrs.
Winter, whom she occasionally visited. This lady was not long in discovering
her attachment to her son, and her feelings become deeply interested
in the lovely girl, with whom she loved to sit and talk of him, sure of having
a fond and attentive listener.

`Grace, daughter, come along side door and let me speak with ye,' said
the commodore, as she entered the hall.

`What do you desire dear father,' said she laying her hand upon his forehead
with sweet affection. Her manner touched him. He looked kindly
upon her, then shook his head and glanced at Ben and then at the Gazette.

`Would you Ben?'

`Better not, yer honor,' said Ben impressively.

Well—I wont! You're a good girl, Grace. So I wont hurt your feelings,
would you Ben?'

`It stands to reason you wouldn't, commodore,' answered Ben stoutly.

`No I'm—

`Dont swear, commodore,' interposed Ben quickly.

`I wont, Ben!

`Father, what is this you had to tell me. Your countenance seemed severe
when I came in!'

`Severe! I never was severe to you in my life, my child!' he said smilingly
and drawing her towards him.

`It stands to reason yer honor never was!' answered Ben.

`Ben you have too much hawser running out your bow port,' said the
commodore.

`I am stopped yer honor,' answered Ben abashed.

`Ben, I wish you would go down to the river side and see if my boat is
dry enough for me to take a row this morning.'

`I will, marm,' answered the old tar, and making his obedience to the
commodore by pulling his fore-top, and to Grace by a scrape of his foot, disappeared.

`Father, now let me know why you sent for me?'

`Well girl, there is no resisting you. But I dont want to hurt your feelings.
But I always had and so had Ben, a kind of suspicion that you had a

sort of liking for that chap I caught baiting your hook one morning—his
name was Winter.' As the commodore spoke he watched her countenance;
and at the confusion he observed, looked sad and gravely smiled
upon her while he added:

`I said nothing at the time, knowing you were a sensible girl and knew a
shark from a lampreel. But Ben says—

`I do not care to hear what Ben says, sir.'

`Well, then let Ben alone. The chap went to sea and there was an end
of it!'

`But you said, sir, if he went with the navy, I might then number him
among my acquaintances.'

`No Gracy, I said let him go into the navy if he will, and let us see how
he turns out! Well, he's gone it seems and has turned out!.

`How do you mean father?' she asked, turning pale at his emphatic
words.

`I mean that he has fought a duel with his superior officer, and that he
bids fair to have a court-martial set upon him before many days are over
his head. The corvette arrived two days ago in Boston harbor. There is
the paper containing the news, and of young Winter's duel. But Lord!
What is the matter with the child! Ben! Jack! Why, Gracy, you a'nt going
to faint are you! Dont look so wild! Ben, I say! Jack you infernal Hindoo!
Ben, ahead here all of you with every thing set!'

And the alarmed parent began to thump the floor with his cane and to
call for help, while he supported on one arm poor Grace, who with a face
like marble, her eyes wildly fixed on the paragraph he had placed before
her, had sunk almost insensible by his side.

Ben and Hindoo Jack arrived at the the same moment by different doors.

`Water, Ben! Gazy is knocked on her beam-ends by this confounded
news! You was right Ben for me not to say any thing to her.'

`It stands to reason I was, yer honor,' cried Ben as he brought the pitcher
of water from the side-board. `Shall I dowse it over, commodore?' and
the pitcher was held above her head.

`Avast a bit, Ben! she rights a little.'

`I'm better, father,' said Grace making an effort to rcover herself.

`Ah, poor Gracy, I see how it is! That younker has been cruising about
my little convoy with some success. You were in the right Ben.'

`I know'd the current set that way, yer honor.'

`Father, let me retire to my room.'

`You are better now. Let me ask you one kindly meant question. Do
you care a spark's flitter for this young scamp?'

`If you mean Francis Winter—I freely acknowledge sir, that I am deeply
interested in his welfare. We became friends, and I saw in him much
to like. This intelligence has caused me great pain.'

`Well, you see now that he is unworthy of you. He has shot his superior
officer in a duel and will be broke by a court-martial. If he was my son
I would disinherit him!'

`Perhaps, sir, he was greatly provoked. The officer may have been most
to blame.'

`I dont like this defence of the scape-grace,' said the commodore warmly.
`If you liked him once for his good qualities, I wish you to dislike him now
for his bad ones!'

`It stands to reason she should, yer honor.'

`Ben your opinion wasn't asked.'

`It stands to reason it wasn't, yer honor,' responded Ben with a bow and
a respectful pull at his fore-top.

`You will not think of him any more, Grace?'

`I regret his conduct, father; but I think he will be proved to have been
he east offender.'

`We shall hear particulars soon. If I had suspected this matter had taken
such hold of Gracy, I should have gone to sea with you before he
should have had an opportunity of making your acquaintance. Besides,
Gracy, dear, he is not one high enough for you to look to. He is but a
farmer's son—with but a fifth of your fortune. Your blood is among the
best in the land. In a word, girl,' said the commodore with a blunt ahruptness,
`do you love this young man?'

`I do father,' she answered blushing, yet in a firm voice,

`And has he dared to speak to you upon the subject?' he continued severely,
for her open confession surprised and displeased him.

`Our attachment, father, I believe to be mutual. For my sake he abandoned
the bar to which he was destined, and entered the navy, that as an
officer he might find favor in your eyes.'

`And a pretty confounded sort of favor he has found in my eyes! Shooting
his superior officer, the very first news we have of him.'

`I am confident he was provoked to it, sir,' said Grace with warmth and
earnestuess. He is incapable of any act, base or unworthy.'

`Ti—ti! Studden-sails out on both sides, and sky-scrapers aloft! This
looks squally for us, Ben!' said the commodore, gravely glancing over his
shoulder at his “vally.”

`It does, yer honor,' answered Ben with a gravity that equalled his master's;
`a reg'lar Norther!'

Grace too much accustomed to the signals interchanged between her father
and Ben, paid no attention to these remarks. Her thoughts were upon
Frank and his rash conduct.

`I feared it,' she said in her own heart. `I feared something like this
from his proud and independent spirit. And he is now probably under arrest!
My heart bleeds for him! How shall I hear from him? How shall I
learn all? My father will not favor me, but rather withhold any further intelligence.
I must seem to be indifferent, to be able to act without being
watched.' Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts.

`Grace,' he said mildly, `I know you too well to believe you would place
your affections upon any one unworthy of you. You may have taken a liking
to this young man, thinking him worthy. Now that you see that he
has proved himself the reverse, I am prepared to see you act with becoming
pride and sense, and respect for your own character.'

`Commodore that's as good as a quarter-deck speech. There's no
chance for slipping a cable there, or skulking under hatches.'

Silence, Ben!'

`I does, yer honor,' and coolly reaching round the old man's chair, he quietly
discharged his tobacco spittle into a spitoon which the commodore and
he used in common.

`If he has proved unworthy of my friendship, father, (she would have
said love,) I shall try to think no more of him.' Her voice trembled and
tears danced tremulously in her beautiful hazel eyes.

`That's a good girl. You shall go to Boston with me in a few days; a
short cruise will help you to forget him, dont you think so Ben.'

`It stands to reason, yer honor,' responded Ben promptly; and Ben's
larboard eye (for the starboard was closed) glistened with the idea of an
overboard cruise to the metropolis.

`Well Gracy, let the matter drop. We won't speak of it any more.'

`Thank you, sir; you are very kind dear father.' As she spoke she embraced
him, and left him to take that solitude which her feelings coveted.

`She's a nice craft, Ben,' said the commodore, glancing after his daughter
with a smiling eye of affection; `a nice little craft as a father's eye
would like to look upon him.'

`Trim and well-stowed, yer honor. Every thing about her set snug and

a-taunts, firm deck to track; she rounds in the bows like a duck, and on a
wind—'

`What the devil, Ben! are you making my daughter out to be a reg'lar
fore and after, with deck and spars!'

`It stands to reason, commodore, I al'ays likens a handsome craft to a
pretty woman, and a pretty woman al'ays 'minds me of a tight clipper, yer
honor,' answered Ben stoutly.

`Well, Ben there is some resemblance that's the truth, especially a young
woman.'

`With white canvass spread, and royals and topmast studden-sails set,'
added Ben.

`Do you mean white gown, cap and big sleeves, Ben?' inquired the commodore.

`I does, Commodore,' answered Ben gravely.

`Well Ben, there is a strong likeness.'

`Especially under-weigh, with the wind fair.'

`Ah, Ben, I see you have an understanding eye to the lasses. Why a'nt
you married?'

`It's first this, commodore. When I was a younker not more nor eighteen,
I come athwart as snug a little craft as ever run afore the wind. I
bore up and hove to along side and spoke her, as she showed friendly
colours. Well, we sailed in company awhile, and finally she said she'd
let me convoy her through the voyage of life. So I consents, and lays in
stores, gets a new rig below and aloft, and we starts for the parson to splice
us. Well, commodore would you believe it, just as we was enterin'
the straits of the church, a light cruiser come athwart our course, and running
down, spoke her. The chap proved to be an old cruising companion
of her's, what she thought had gone to Davy's locker. So he asks her to
heave to and come under his lee. She cast off her hawsers from me, and
before I could understand the manœuvre, commodore, she was under his
quarter. I went into action at once to recover her, and we fought about six
minutes, when he struck. The she craft then up helm, scud away before
the wind and was soon hull down. I then bore up to repair damages; and
ever since then, I've been cruising yer honor, without a consort.'

`It's a hard case, Ben. These female craft, Ben, are little better than pirates.
They'll sail under any and every flag. The best way is to give 'ern
a wide birth.'

`It stands to reason we should, yer honor,' answered Ben with didactical
gravity.

On reaching her chamber, poor Grace gave way to tears, and bitter regrets
at the sudden overthrow of all dreams of love. Though she had defended
Frank to her father, she felt that she could not exculpate him to her
own heart. She knew his spirit, and she could not but tremble lest he
should prove to have been all in the wrong. Her father had not told her,
nor did the paper inform her whether Frank had returned in the ship; but
she supposed of course that he was on board—perhaps a prisoner! How
should she ascertain this? How should she see him. She thought of his
mother, and her heart mourned for her when she should Lear this sad
news!

`I will be its bearer. I will gently break it to her,' she said. `She will
then proceed to Boston and through her, I shall hear all!'

This idea had no sooner occurred to her, than she left the house while
her father and Ben were talking together; and hastening to the water-side,
she rowed to the opposite shore. Mrs. Winter received her with affection
and also with a look of anxious inquiry; for Grace was pale and her face full
of horror. As gently as she could, Grace communicated the painful intelligence
of which she was the bearer. It was received with an emotion of

sorrow that only a mother can know. When Grace had communicated all
she knew, Mrs. Winter at once declared her intention of proceeding to Boston
the same day to see her son. She promised to write Grace immediately,
the result of her visit.

Mrs. Winter did not reach Boston until the ensuing morning, when she
left the stage for a hackney-coach, in which she drove to the wharf, opposite
which the corvette lay at anchor. She was about to call a boat, to go
on board, when a cutter from the ship of war containing two officers
landed at the stairway. She waited until the elder of the officers, who was
very pale with his arm in a sling came near her, whom she addressed him
with all the calmness she could command:

`Sir, do you belong on board of the Concord?'

`Yes, madam,' he answered with marked politness, seeing that the person
who inquired was evidently a lady.

`Can you tell me any thing of—of—young Francis Winter?—Is he on
board?'

`You seem to be much agitated, madam. Will you sustain yourself by
my arm?'

`I thank you, sir, I do not require it. Is he on board?'

`He is not, madam.'

`Oh, sir, have they taken him on shore to prison? Where have they
conveyed him! He is my son—my only son! I have heard of his duel and
have hastened to see him, and know the worst that may befall him! Is the
officer dead, sir?'

`No, madam. I am that officer. I regret the affair deeply, on your account
as well as your son's. Perhaps I was to blame. In the height of a storm I
spoke to him somewhat severely, not having time to choose my words, as
we cannot always have. He took offence, and at Mahon challenged me.
I did not wish to meet him, and in excuse plead his under-rank. He at
once threw up his midshipman's birth, and as he was a gentleman I had no
alteruative but to give him the satisfaction he sought. He wounded me severely,
though not so badly as the papers say. I am just recovering from it
as you see.'

`And he—my son?'

`Escaped, thank God! unharmed.'

`And where is he?'

`He remained at Mahon! I presume he will return home in the first merchant
vessel.'

`Sir accept a mother's thanks for your information! It is not so bad as I
feared. I grieve at my son's fiery spirit and his resignation of his place in
the navy, merely to gratify his wounded feelings. I trust sir you are recovering?'

`I am nearly well, madam.'

`Poor Frank!'

`Insubordination was his only, that is his only grave fault, madam! He
was much liked by his fellows, and had many friends. I trust you will
soon have the happiness of meeting him. Good morning, madam.'

The officer left her. She regained her carriage and sought her home, to
wait in anxious maternal solicitude the first intelligence from her son.—
Grace, to whom she communicated all, and who had listened to her repetition
of the officers words in Frank's praise, with pure delight, was no less
solicitous than herself; and day after day passed in the most painful expec
tations.