University of Virginia Library

5. CHAPTER V.
THE MUTE AND THE VOYAGE.

The pirate now proceeded with his
narrative, while Percival, walking up and
down the cabin, listened with deep attention.

`The eighteenth day, my lord,' resumed
Bonfield, `I made the Bermudas,
about two o'clock in the afternoon. At
sun-set I was anchored off the Black
Keys, and within range of the guns of
the fort. I had English colors flying,
and was no doubt taken for an English
schooner of war. The time had now
come for me to part with my two passengers;
and though one of them was
deaf and dumb, and the other but little
better, being an infant a year old, unable
to speak a word or understand one, I was
not a little sorry that I must part with
them. To the little girl I became very
much attached. I couldn't have loved
it any more had it been my own child,
nor half so much, I believe, for if it had
been mine it would not have been half
so handsome nor so interesting. It took
to me, too, after we had been three or
four days out, just as if I had been its
father. When I would come down into
the cabin, after being on deck in my
watch, it would hold out its little chubby
arms, and almost fly from the dumb
nurse's lap to reach me; and its large
blue eyes would sparkle and smile like
an angels. I never knew, my lord, I
had a proper human heart till that babe
began to love me so.'

`Such a reflection, Captain Bonfield,
does you honor,' answered the earl.

`I have done little worthy honor in
this world, my lord, I am well aware of
that. But the child did not alone interest
me. There was the young woman.
Her fair placid face, her large grey intelligent
eyes which answered for ears
and tongue, for she seemed to hear and
speak with them as well as see; her lady-like
gentleness; her amiable manners;
her air of dependence and trust in me,
altogether won me over completely. I
would have cut my right hand off before
I would have treated her unkindly. I
felt too that she and the child were innocent
victims of some state-policy, and
that they demanded sympathy.'

`Then you began to suspect this,' said
the earl, stopping in his walk and loking
him fixedly in the face.

`Yes, my lord, from the very first, I
knew that the Admiral would not send
for me and my vessel, nor the great marquis
nearest the throne, come on board
on such business as brought him, unless
the disposal of the infant had something
to do with state matters. Though how
it could be I did not know. I could not
inquire, for the only two persons who
could enlighten me were, as you have
seen. I became, as I said, deeply interested
in the young woman. Who she
could be I was constantly conjecturing.
Her manners were remarkably lady-like;
her complexion fair, as if sun nor wind
had ever visited it rudely; her hands
white and soft, and exquisitely shaped.
It was plain she was no common person.
Her hair was the most beautiful I ever
beheld. It was as soft as floss, a golden
brown, and descended, when unbound,
till it swept the deck. My crew swore
she must be the queen of the Mermaids,
and her being incapable of speech confirmed
them in this opinion, which many
of them entertained seriously.

`The first few days I believed the
young woman was the mother of the
child; but I was soon led to suspect that
I was mistaken. She did not seem like
a young mother. She treated the infant,
indeed, with the kindest affection, and
gave all her time to it. Still the more
I dwelt upon the subject the more I was
convinced in my own mind that she was
not the child's mother. But I could not
ascertain this from her. We had learned
to converse together in a sort of language
of the fingers, but only for the interchange
of common-place ideas which
could be illustrated by objects at hand
to point to. Sometimes she would become
quite animated, and seem to endeavor
to make me comprehend something
she desred to reveal. At such times
her eyes would kindle and change their
expression in a most wonderful manner;
her face would be illumined with the
soul within, which seemed to be painfully
struggling to explain itself. I could
almost understand her. I could comprehend
a great deal; and if I had not been
so dull in intellect, I might have talked
with her and understood her; but my
own mind was too dull to reflect the brilliancy
of her own.'

`She must have been a very interesting
person.'

`She was, indeed, my lord; and as I
said, I felt regret at parting with her and
the child; and not a man on board but
was sad at the idea of their going. They
seemed to think that good luck was with
them while she was on board.'

`And have you no idea now who this
deaf and dumb person was?' asked Earl
Percival.

`I have my own guess, my lord,' responded
Bonfield, resting his manacled
hands upon his knees.

`Captain Bonfield, I wil give orders to
have the manacles removed, if they incommode
you,' said the earl benevolently.

`No, no, my good lord. I am used to
'em. It will be time enough whan I have
earned my liberty by letting you know
what you came on board in this storm to
get from me! I don't think it blows
quite so hard as it did. The waves don't
dash under the counter as they have
done.'

`No, the wind seems lulling; and I
shall not be sorry, for I assure you I was
never in more peril than when I came off
to-night to see you. If I had not had
the most skilfull boatman on the Thames
to row me, I should have been lost, or at
least should have had to swim for it. By
the by, the poor fellow is waiting for me
on deck.'

`I will soon be through with what I
have to say. I will be brief.'

`Do not omit anything that it is material;
for it is important all the facts connected
with this affair should be known
to me. I am obliged to you for the minute
manner in which you have related
what you have done.'

`I might have made it still more particular,
my lord, but was afraid of wearying
your patience. I will try and pay off'
with a short hawser the rest of it. It
was just at sun-set as I dropped anchor
and furled sails off the Rock, within half
a mile of the shore. I had a handsome
compliment paid to me for the manner in
which I brought my schooner too, by
the captain of the fort the next day;
for though I came in under all sail, I
had my anchor down and every thing
snug alow and aloft in just one minute
and three quarters by the watch. I did
not time, nor think I was doing any
thing very extraordinary; but the officer
timed it.'

`Did he take you for a regular vessel
of the service, then?' asked the earl.

`Yes, of the revenue service, sent out
with despatches. I went ashore to the
town in my revenue uniform the next
day. But I am to tell your lordship what
I did the same night of my arrival, and
of the disposal of the infant.'

`That is what I chiefly desire to know.'

`From my deck, after we anchored, I
could see, by the means of my spy-glass,
the cottage retired among the woodlands
on the hill-side where the Oakford's
lived. I knew it at once by the description
which the Marquis had given me of
it. It was clear twilight for half an hour
after the sun went down, and every thing
was distinctly seen on the land. I had,
before anchoring, by signs, notified the
young woman, whose name, by the by, I
could not even get at, if she ever had
one, that she must begin to make ready
to land. She understood me, and proceeded
to pack up in trunks her own
things and those of the infants; for both
came aboard well supplied, the men who
brought her and the Marquis off, having
also brought two trunks which they put on
deck while I was below. I also forgot to
say that, at the suggestion of Lord Ross,
I took on board a goat at Lowes, where I
lay off for an hour on my passage for this
purpose. Thus the child had plenty of
milk on the voyage, and grew plump and
fat upon it. When the boat was alongside,
and it found it was to part from its
goat, it began to grieve, so that I ordered
the men to throw the goat into the bows
and let it go with the child. So we all
got in and pulled from the schooner towards
the shore. It was already night-fall,
so that when we reached the shore
at the foot of the fort we could hardly
have told a tree from a large rock. We
landed at a few steps, from which wound
a path up the steep. Leaving the boat
and ordering my men to pull off a hundred
rods from the shore, and keep quiet
till they heard me hail, I took the little
girl in my arms, and followed by two of
my crew with the baggage, and the dumb
girl resting upon my other arm, I went
up the path. It would around the fort,
though some distance from it; and after
following it about a quarter of an hour
we came to a wood which we passed
through, though it was as black as night,
and I could only discern the path from
the lighter color of the sand in it. After
getting out of the forest we came upon an
open glade which scemed to be quite elevated
above the sea. From it I could
look down into the very area of the fort,
and see the lights moving about in the
windows of the soldiers' barracks. I
could also discern about a mile and a half
distant the star-like glimmer of the lantern
in the rigging of my vessel.

`I now stopped and looked around to
see where we were, and how we should
find the house which I knew must be

near us. After walking on again a little
further, I beheld directly before us the
rays of a light breaking through the foliage.
We hastened on and in a few
moments came in front of a small co:tage
built directly under an overhanging rock,
and sheltered by trees. It was a little
ways to the left out of the path, which
here made a bend to the right to avoid the
cliff, and thence passed down the hill side
beyond in the direction of the town, the
position of which I could also see by the
sparkle of the numerous lights in the
houses.

`Although, on account of the darkness,
I could not see the cottage very well, yet
I felt confident that it was where the Oakford's
lived, as its situation answered perfectly
to the description given me by the
marquis, and which I had put into writing.
I therefore boldly advanced to the door
and knocked. The young woman let go
my arm and seemed to be listening, as if
she could hear and understand whatever
was done. What astonished me was the
perfect confidence in others, and total
absence of suspicion with which she suffered
herself to be led. This struck me
at the time she came on board with Lord
Ross and went into the cabin so quietly,
and then so calmly let him depart to leave
her with total strangers, and under circumstances
which would have caused any
other woman to shrink and tremble.—
Then she got into the boat so willingly,
and suffered herself to be led, as it were,
blindly, up the path to the house, when
it was clear to me that she knew not
where she was going, surprised me. There
was no trembling, no drawing back, no
hesitation or look of doubt. She behaved
just like a child that had uo will but
the will of those about it.'

`This seeming indifference is characteristic
of the deaf and dumb. They always
instinctively and beautifully trust,
without fear or doubt, in their fellow be
ings, to whom God has given senses, denied
to themselves.'

`So I have thought it must be; and in
thinking about it, it occurred to me, my
lord,' said Bonfield, warmly, `that the
man who could betray or abuse such confidence
was unworthy the name of manhood—he
would be a monster!'

`You utter the sentiment of every honorable
bosom, Captain Bonfield. I cannot
withold my surprise that a person
endowed by nature with a mind in which
such sentiments find a place, should have
given himself up to a lawless career, in
which can be gained neither honor nor
good name!'

`Pardon me, my lord; I did not give
myself up to the life I have led!—I was
born a smuggler. I was raised a smuggler
from the first lispings of infancy.
It is my nature. Had I been born a lord
I should now have been a lord. Had
your lordship been born a smuggler, you
doubtless would now have been a smuggler.
Had some old gypsy exchanged us
in our cradles—if I ever had such a
luxury, other than the rocking of the waves
—we should very likely have been at this
moment in each other's places.'

`That is more than possible, Captain,'
answered the nobleman smiling. `You
have an excuse; but now that you know
better, and have had opportunities of improving
your condition, you are guilty.
And I sincerely trust that your present
close escape from an ignominous death
will lead you to be more careful of yourself
and your honor for the future.'

`I resolve to be, my lord. To tell you
the truth, I am getting to feel as if I should
like to have quiet. You see that my locks
are grey already, and that the lines of
age are deep in my face.'

`Be assured that you shall not want for
my good will and aid if need be, Captain
Bonfield. My conversation with you tonight
has developed in your character attributes

that irresistibly command my respect.
You owe to yourself a worthier
fame than that you have so long enjoyed
as the most daring smuggler in the British
waters!'

`Yet this fame is something, my lord!
But I agree with you fully. But to my
story. I knocked a second time before
there was a reply, when the light which
had been shining from the windows of a
room on the right hand was removed,
shone through the key-hole, and the door
was slowly unlocked and carefully opened
by a woman. As the light she held fell
upon all our party, she drew back with an
exclamation of alarm, and would have
shut it in my face, but I placed my foot
in the way, and then gently forcing it
open said,

`Don't be alarmed, marm, we only
wish to know if one Master Oakford lives
here? If so, we have guests for him
from England, and also messages.' I
had no sooner spoken this name, than the
woman shricked.

`Ha! what is that?' cried a man's
voice within, and then we heard his quick
step to the door, which he threw open,
and taking the light from her hand, as it
was ready to fall, looked upon us sharply.
He was a tall, slender man, about forty
years of age by the appearance of his
face, but his hand was as white as the
driven snow. He had bold, but handsome
features, a keen black eye, and was
altogether a very striking and respectable
looking person, and evidently of birth and
degree above his present state.

`Are you Master Oakford?' I asked,
when I thought he had taken a sufficiently
long inspection of our group. His
gaze was partly inquisitive, partly suspicious.

`Come in and quickly, my friends!'
he answered, with some trepidation, as
once more I mentioned this name. `Come
n, and I will answer all inquiries.' His
face was as pale as that of the dead, and
the hand which held the lamp shook, so
that I expected to see it go out. The
female recovered her self possession, and
whispering something in his ear, of which
the words `betray yourself,' she said
smilingly to us, but I saw it was a forced
smile—

`Enter, friends. We are always glad
to see people from England here.'

`We went into the house, being conducted
to the room on the right, which
was plainly, but comfortably furnished.
Every thing about seemed to indicate
that the occupants were above want,
though by no means rich. The house
was a one story cottage built of stone,
with a thatched roof, it seemed to contain
five or six rooms; had a pretty yard
in front, a garden at the end, and commanded,
as I saw in the morning, a wide
and beautiful prospect. It was quite
alone by itself, no other cottage being
within half a mile; and the only access
to it was by the footpath, which led past
it from the fort, over the hill side round
the cliff to the town; for the fort stood
on one side of a sloping hill, and the town
in the other, the cottage crossing the summit
midway between. There was also
a wheel road from the fort to the town by
the shore.

`The woman gave us chairs, while the
man directed the two of the boats' crew
where to deposit their trunks. He then
left the men at the door, and came into
the little sitting-room. He stood by the
door, as there were but few chairs, looking
at me steadily, as if he expected me
to speak and make known my business.
His eyes also wandered with curiosity to
the dumb female, and the infant which
sat smiling in her lap, gazing round upon
the things in the room, and upon the faces
of the strangers.

`You are cold,' said the woman, to my
dumb passenger, `sit nearer the fire.'

`The other replied by a smile only,
and remained where she was.

`You asked for Robert Oakford,' said
the man, approaching me and laying his
hand upon the back of my chair, and
looking at the woman they exchanged
glances as if dreading some evil.

`I asked for Master Ooakford,' I responded,
`and I trust that you are he;
for I have made a long voyage to see you.'

`Yes, that is my name,' answered the
man, with some hesitation. `What business
have you with me?'

`That I will speedily make known to
you, good Master Oakford,' said I, taking
from my pocket the package which Lord
Ross had commanded me to give him.—
`Here is a letter or two, which will tell
you my business much sooner than I can
do it.'

`I then gave him the package. He
caught it quickly from my hand and read
the superscription.

`All is safe!' he cried, looking at the
woman, who was his sister, a maiden lady
of about thirty-five, dressed very much
like a quakeress, but with a face of remarkable
sternness of expression.

`Thank God! was her fervent response.

`I instantly understood, my lord, from
this by-play, that there was a mystery of
some sort connected with these two persons,
of which Lord Ross knew far more
than I was ever likely to know. I saw
that between him and them was some
connection, but I had no clue to ascertain
in what way. The expression of both
their faces instantly changed on his seeing
the hand-writing. They looked greatly
relieved, as if some great weight had all
at once, been taken from their minds.

`Excuse me, Captain Bonfield, as I
see by the envelope you are,' he said,
going out of the room with the package,
which had that name on it as the bearer:
for `Vance' would hardly have done;
and I may as well say here, my lord,
that from this time I took the name of
Bonfield altogether. He had no sooner
gone out than the woman disappeared by
a side-door, and left us alone. The dumb
woman gazed round placidly upon the
house, and then asked me by signs if that
was to be her home. I replied that it
was, when she smiled and looked contented.
While the occupants of the house
was absent, I amused myself with the
little girl, which I had named Flora, because
she always reminded me of a flower.
I began to feel quite sad at the idea
of parting with it, for it had wound itself
about my heart; but I resolved that,
if I left it there I would come at least
twice a year to see it, so that it should
not forget me. Indeed I loved that child
so, that I had half a mind not to obey
Lord Ross, but keep it and bring it up;
for I knew that it was cast off from its
native country; but I did not wish to lose
the reward, and besides, I had pledged
myself to fulfil his instructions, and when
I give my word, it becomes a sacred law
to me.

`I felt sorry, also, at parting with the
poor deaf and dumb girl, who, I had at
length fully made up my mind was no
more related to the child than I was.

There was not the least resemblance
in its features to her, nor in hers to it.

Besides she had nothing of that matronly
air about her which is so very apparent
in young mothers.

`After about ten minutes absence the
man returned into the room. His face
wore an expression of pleasure and satisfaction.
The gloom and suspicion and
aspect of fear had given place to confidence
and cherfulness. He came up to
me and shook me by the hand very
warmly.

`Captain,' said he, `I am happy to see
you in Bermudas. I see by the letter of
the Marquis of Ross that you are in his
confidence. You have had a remarkable

passage. I saw your schooner when
it came to anchor at sun-down, and then
wondered if it came direct from England,
and who it might contain. You and your
two passengers are welcome,' he contined,
shaking the hand of the dumb maiden,
and also that of the infant, though
with an air of respect that, but for certain
suspicions I had, would have seemed
to me ridiculous.

`His sister at this time came in, her
face also cheerful, and destitute of that
air of apprehension which had at first
been upon it. She also shook the hand
of the dumb woman whom I called Mary,
for she and the babe in her lap often reminded
me of pictures of Mary the Virgin
and her child, and so I called her
Mary; for one must have a name even
for a deaf and dumb person, my lord.

`This is my sister Sarah, Captain,'
said Martin Oakford, introducing her.

`You are welcome, captain,' she said,
with an hospitable air, `you have been
very kind to bring us company to cheer
our loneliness.'

`I fear that they will not be found very
sociable, marm,' I answered, `but I assure
you they will be found worthy of
your love. The smile of Mary is sunlight
enough for any house.'

`We then talked together a few minutes,
about the speed of my passage out,
the weather we had, and other things,
when at a look from him, his sister took
the babe and led Flora smiling from the
room to one prepared for her.'