University of Virginia Library

9. CHAPTER IX.
THE INDIAN PRINCE.

The young American girl bent forward more earnestly than before
to listen to the words of the beautiful East Indian.

`You can go if you will but give your consent,' continued Clara
Forrest, said Norman to me.'

`How?' I asked him with surprise.

`Clara! He answered, taking my hand and speaking in a tone of
passionate earnestness, our hearts are one let our fortunes be one!—
Consent to become my wedded wife and to-morrow with you on board
my schooner will I set sail for Canton.'

`I listened with surprise, but before I could object or utter a word
he continued a follows.'

`Your father is ill at Canton! You are in despair that you cannot
reach him to nurse him! You would send me to him in your stead!
I would gladly go, Clara, but you can go also. As my bride I can
take you without derision to your fair fame!'

`But how shall I be any safer in Canton as your wife,' I asked,
`than as I am, should I consent to go with you as I am? How would
my danger be lessened?'

`My plan is to haye you disguised in male attire and pass as a youth.
Under this disguise you can land with me in security. But that you
may go with me in this manner first become my bride, so that no stain
shall fasten upon your name by and by. You love me! You know
I adore you! We can keep the marriage a secret until a suitable opportunity
offers to make it known to your father and the world!'

`After much persuasion on his part I gave my consent to this step!
My love for him would not suffer me to say no, and my desire to see
my father hastened and confirmed my decision! So that very night we
were privately married by the English chaplain of the Port, who was
enjoined to, and promised secrecy until he was called upon to reveal
the evidence of the marriage. To no other person was it known save
my governess whom I made my confidant and whom I knew I could
trust. To her I unfolded all my motives and seeing that my happiness
was suspended on seeing my father she yielded, and not only witnessed
the ceremony but made all preparations for my instant departure.
She was to say that I had gone for a few days on a visit to the
interior to prevent exciting any curiosity as to my sudden absence.'

`How very strange all this seems to me,' said Mary Hood. `But do
not let my wondering exclamations interrupt you. It is natural as you
were already loved and betrothed to him that you should consent to
marry him under the circumstances you have described. It would
not have been proper for you to have gone disguised in male costume
with him to seek your father, unless you went under the sacred name
of wife!'

`Such were my own reasonings Mary. Had the circumstances been

different I should not have become his wife, dear as he was to me,
without my father's consent. But as I have never yet repented the
step I then took I will not make any effort to palliate it. It was the
result of peculiar circumstances. Without taking it I should be unable
to see my father; but by doing so I had the prospect of being by
his bedside within three days!'

`The next morning I went on board the schooner with my husband!—

`In female costume?'

`No,' answered Ellen slightly coloring and dropping her eyes. `I
had previously assumed that of a young East Indian Secretary, blue
loose trowsers flowing to the feet and a camiset or jacket of green
lawn, over which I wore a white linen scarf in the form of a mantle.
I cut off my hair, long and beautiful as it was, and wore a red cloth cap
with a band of gold lace. I carried at my girdle a box containing my
pen paper and ink and in all points I looked like a very smart young
clerk.'

`Your hair has grown out now! How I should like to have seen
you in that costume! I wonder Captain Freemantle should have consented
that you should part with your hair if it was as beautiful as it
is now!'

`He opposed it at first; but finally consented, as he wished me to
incur no risks! He, as well as I, knew that detection would be death.'

`What danger you were exposing your life to! What courage—
what love for your father you must have had! I look upon you, Clara,
with a sort of awe and admiration! You don't seem to me to be an
ordinary person! You have a spirit above a woman's.'

`No; believe me a woman's spirit and a woman's courage; both are
more elevated than those of the other sex! The courage of man is
aided and supported by a consciousness of physical power: that of
woman is solely dependent on its innate vigor and native energy. If
man possessed the courage of woman in addition to his physical strength,
he would be invincible! What woman lacks in strength of body is to
be found in her soul! But this is not my story!

`No one on board suspected me to be other than what I seemed—a
young Ceylonese secretary. My knowledge of the language aided my
part, and as I dyed my face and hands with the juice of a leaf peculiar
to that country, my disguise was perfect. As I regarded myself in the
glass, there was nothing of my former self I recognized save the expression
in my eyes. It seemed to me as if I was gazing upon a
strange Ceylon youth of sixteen.

`We reached the mouth of the river, and hoisting the Spanish flag
to escape the regard of English cruisers, we ascended towards Canton.
The winds and tides favored us and the third morning we reached
Canton. Norman would not suffer me to go to the American Hong by
myself, but being himself well known to some British officers, whom
he knew to be on shore, he did not know how to escape recognition
unless he disguised himself also. He therefore went in the boat to one
of the floating shops, streets of which stretched away upon the bosom
of the river on all sides of us, and returned with the rich costume of
an Indian Prince, which was the only complete suit that would fit him

that he could purchase. He put this on and with a little aid of art he
stood before me a complete representation of the character he had assumed.

`In the East, there are numerous small governments or clans which
are governed by hereditary chiefs, subject however to the English supremacy.
These chiefs are styled Princes; and their sons, all of them,
are so designated. It is not unusual to see several of these princes on
a visit to the English and American trading stations at the same time.
The appearance, therefore, of Norman on shore in this costume and
character, would not excite such particular attention as you would at
first suppose.

`We landed together, I acting the character of his secretary and
walking a little behind him. I should in a few minutes see my father
or be told that he no longer lived! My anxiety was very great. I did
not think of the danger I was now in on account of sex. I only
thought of my father. I inquired of a sea-captain (using broken
English) the direction to my fathers residence, which was over his
place of business. I approached it with trembling steps. Norman encouraged
me and bade me to hope for the best. He looked anxious
but it was for my safety. He knew that if I was suspected of being a
female, it would be the signal for an uproar among the Chinese, to
whose vengeance I should fall an instant sacrifice.

`I tremble for you, dear Clara, even now,' said Miss Hood shuddering.

`Upon inquiring of a slave at the entrance, I learned with joy that
my father was not only alive, but there were hopes of his recovery.
I asked to see him, but was told no one was permitted to do so. A
Chinese physician came forth and I was about to ask him for leave to
go in, when Norman checked me.'

`Do not speak. Your voice may betray you. Let no Chinese hear
your voice! Write a line in English and get this slave to take it into
him.'

`I wrote on a piece of paper these words:

`I signed it with the initials of my name and sent it in to him by the
slave. In a few minutes he returned and told me to follow him. Norman
said he would accompany me. I passed along the corridor and
ascending a flight of stairs at its extremity, I found myself all at once
in the presence of my father. He had been lying upon a couch, but
was now raised upon his elbow keenly regarding my entrance with his
pale and emaciated features flushed by excitement. He had previously
sent his attendants from the room; and seeing that he was alone I
rushed forward and threw myself upon my knees before him and clasped
his head to my heart.'

`Clara,' he said in a tone so mournful and so full of reproof as he
returned my embrace; `you have done wrong—very wrong! This

only is wanting to destroy me! You must instantly leave this dangerous
spot. Have you come here that I may behold you torn limb from
limb by the infuriated Chinese!'

He could scarcely speak for debility struggling with emotion. I explained
to him my grief, and how I suffered on hearing of his illness,
and from the reflections that I was denied the happiness of being with
him. I laid before him all that I had endured and imploring his forgiveness,
implored him to suffer me to remain. At length he was softened,
and feeling more confidence in the security of my disguise he
promised that I should remain until he could be taken on board a ship
and conveyed to Macao, which he said would be in two or three days,
as he was anxious to get me out of the country. He at the same time
made me promise that I would not leave the house nor open my lips in
the presence of a Chinese. He then decided that I should remain as
a clerk engaged by him to record his will, and that no one should be
permitted to have access to me until I should be safely got aboard the
ship he intended to embark in, as soon as he could bear the motion of
a palanquin to take him to her.

`My father, now for the first time beheld Norman who had stood
back by the door where he could not be seen by one lying as my father
was. Norman advanced just as my father was asking me to explain
how I had come to Canton. `Who is this?' he asked with surprise.

I hesitated. I did not want to deceive my father! He was not in
a situation to hear without excitement, the truth. I hesitated, not knowing
how to reply, when Norman said, speaking in English, to which he
gave the Indian accent.

`I had a proa in Macao, Mandarin! I saw this youth in tears weeping
much to get to his father! I took him on board my vessel and to-day
we came to Canton!'

`Then he is ignorant of your sex?' inquired my father with a look
of great relief. `He supposes you are my son. Then half the danger
is lessened. You and I are the depositaries of this fatal secret.'

I bowed. I could not speak, for I had not the courage to give my
tongue to a falsehood. Yet for the present, while my father was so
weak, I felt that it was necessary to withold from him all the truth!'