University of Virginia Library

10. CHAPTER X.
The Lover.

The gallant Captain had indeed reason to despair of winning the
heart of the lovely French maiden, from the reception she had given to
the hints thrown out by Hastings, whom he had commissioned to feel
the pulse of her heart. He was in love, but had not the courage to
bring the matter to issue himself; and seeing that she had a strong
regard for his lieutenant, and knowing that his affections were already
engaged, he enlisted him, as has been seen, to advocate his cause with
her.

Hastings had acted for his friend faithfully; for, although he was
much pleased and almost fascinated with the beauty and mental graces
of the lovely stranger, he had no heart for her. When, however, he
saw that she was becoming interested in him, as maidens will be in
those to whom they owe the preservation of life, he felt that it was his
duty to avoid her society; and when he discovered that Marshall was
in love with her, he endeavored, in every way, to give him his place by
her side. At length, the Captain made him his full confidant, and
asked his aid, in opening the avenues to her heart, in his behalf.

Josephine Fontleroy discovered at once the agency that her preserver
was engaged in, and that instead of wooing for himself, he was wooing
for his friend. This discovery, though nearly approached before, was
not fully made until the conversation took place between them, and
which has already been given. Her heart was truly and deeply
interested in Hastings, for gratitude begets love in generous bosoms.
The assurance, therefore, that he could not return her affection, that
his heart and love were pledged to another, at first deeply moved her
to sorrow. Unable to bear unmoved, the disappointment, she hastened
below to escape betraying her feelings to Hastings.

`You have no reason to suppose it is all up with you, my dear Jack,'
said Hastings, in reply to his words. “Faint heart never won fair
lady,” you know is the adage, and a very true one it is.'

`But what shall I do?'

`Do? Try to make yourself as agreeable to her as you can.'

`But I never can get to windward of her while you are in her eye.'

`I will try and make myself as disagreeable to her as I can,'
answered Hastings, laughing.

`Something might be done that way, to be sure. But then there is
such little time to bring it about. We shall be off the Balize to-morrow
morning, and then they will leave in the first vessel that goes up the
river to the city, for I have promised them this.'

`A great deal can be done in twelve hours, in love affairs,' answered
Hastings. `Believe me, Captain, I do not think you are indifferent to
her.'

`I wish she could have taken to me as she did to you. That is the
only way to have a woman love you, to let her love of herself. It is
like beating a craft against wind and tide, just for the sport of sailing
down again with yards square. I would give my little finger to know
whether she cared a straw for me.'

`You can easily ascertain. She has gone down into the cabin. The
General has not yet retired to his state-room, and I will invite him up
to walk the deck with me. You can see the lady alone, and if you are
true to yourself you will not longer sigh in vain.'

`I will see her alone and tell her just the state of my heart. I
can't live this way.'

`If she has pity on you, shall you propose marriage at once? Shall
you give up the sea and turn sugar planter on the general's estates?'

`I never thought of that. She would n't care to go to sea, I dare
say. It would be more agreeable for her to be on shore.'

`Of course it would.'

`Well, I will do as she says. I will tell her so. I will tell her that
it shall be the business of my life to render her happy.'

`She can't suspect you seek her hand for her fortune, Captain, for I
told her you were worth full fifty thousand dollars.'

`You might have said seventy, for I shall pocket twenty thousand
more by the capture of the Loraine.'

`I hope so.'

`For your sake as well as mine. You have ten thousand as your
part of the captures we have made, and I would like to have you
quadruple it, especially if you hope to find favor with Miss Livaudais.'

`I do hope to find favor with her. I hope that on repentance she
will forgive me and — but it is too great happiness to expect.'

`Not a bit of it. If I stood as fair a chance of wedding the lovely
Fontleroy, — bless her beautiful eyes! — as you do of making the lovely
Auguste your bride, I should be the happiest dog in the world.'

`I shall be able to do nothing without your assistance. You must
pave the way.'

`That I will do. I promised it, and I will make all square; never
fear. Your good turn for me I'll offset in your favor. Leave me to
making love — I mean for another person. I am all aback when I try
to negotiate for myself.'

`You promise me, Captain, that whether you capture the Loraine or
not, you will run up the river as far as the plantation of Mr. Livaudais.'

`Yes. I will keep my promise too. You say it is not nine leagues
below the city.'

`No more.'

`I will sail up then, though at some risk if I take the Loraine in
American waters. It will be dangerous for me to be in the river.
But then there are no Yankee ships of war at Orleans nor fortifications
to prevent me. For that matter I could run up to the very
city, fire a broadside upon it, and get safely back to sea again without
interruption. So you may depend upon me giving you an opportunity
of seeing your lady fair. Come, now go down and call up the
Marquis. I begin to feel, though, as if I was about to be hanged.
What a coward this love makes of a man. My blood feels as if it had
turned into warm milk and water. Well, it must be done, or die. But
vast, Harry,' he cried, as his lieutenant approached the companion-way,
`say a good word to her in my favor before you come up — a small pull,
you know, on the weather brace.'

`Aye, aye!' answered Hastings, disappearing into the cabin.

`Bless us!' ejaculated the Captain, walking quickly, up and down
the deck, with his hands behind his back; `bless my soul! what a
difficulty a man gets himself into that falls in love with a pretty
woman! Here I've been all over the world, seen blue-eyed English
lasses, and black-eyed Spanish donas, flirted with pretty Jewesses in
Syria, and glorious Circassians in Turkey. I have been exposed to all
sorts of eye-batteries and never got a shot in my hull. I have come
out of every action safe and sound, with spars and canvass all set.

But here, when I have got to the mature age of thirty-seven — no, I'm
thirty-nine, which makes it worse — here comes along this little French
craft with her dark, killing glances, that do n't look at you, but steal at
you out of their corners as it were, a sort of cross-firing that is
confoundedly mischievous. In this way she has taken me to advantage,
and I have struck my flag to her before I'm even hailed to surrender.
But there is no use in striking. She do'nt think me worth the trouble
of boarding, but sets all sail after this lucky fellow, Hastings. So all
I've got to do, so long as she won't take me, is now to try and take
her. Ah! here he comes with the old General. How my heart
thumps! I'll have to keep it down with a preventer-brace.'

`All is clear, Jack,' said Hastings, in a whisper. `She looks
divinely. You will find her reading by the table.'

`Did you tell her I was coming.'

`No. I feared she might weigh, and make for her state-room.
Pluck up courage. I have sounded the Marquis and I have no doubt
he would like the match if you would agree to live with him.'

`Agree! I'll agree to anything. I'll agree to — to — I'll agree
to —'

`She may not be there if you delay, Jack. Success!'

`Thank you, but I feel as if I was going to be hanged.'

With these words he descended into the cabin. The lovely French
girl was seated by the table, leaning her cheek in her hand. A book,
open, lay upon her lap. One finger was inserted listlessly between the
leaves. She wore a look of sadness and seemed to be thoughtful, for
her eyes slowly winked like one thinking intently.

The Captain was in the cabin before she was aware of his presence.
He saw her in this attitude and felt that she was sad on account of her
disappointment with reference to his lieutenant. He thought that she
never looked so lovely as in that attitude and with that pensive cast of
countenance. He stood still to gaze upon her, both to admire, and
from fear of destroying, by startling her, so fair a picture. He sighed
at the thought that he should perhaps never possess so rich a treasure
as the heart that gently heaved beneath her bosom.

She looked up as he sighed, and seeing him rose, and smiling with
courtesy, but without that quickening of color or trembling of tone,
which he had noticed in her when Hastings approached her, she
said,

`You are quite a stranger in the cabin, Captain. I believe I have
not seen you here since dinner.'

`I feared intruding upon your retirement, Miss Fontleroy.'

`No, you are always welcome — you and your officers. I regret that
we should have taken up your only cabin, and I by no means desire to
make it exclusive. But we shall probably leave to-morrow, Lieutenant
Hastings informs me. Be seated, Captain.'

`Yes, Madam,' answered Marshall, taking a chair and looking down
like an abashed school-boy. `Yes, I am sorry to say that you will
leave the brig to-morrow.'

`Sorry, Monsieur!' she repeated, opening her large eyes with
surprise and a smile; `I should rather have expected to hear you say
glad. But doubtless the word spoken, covers that which is repressed.'

`Indeed, Mademoiselle, I speak the feeling of my heart, when I say
I regret your departure from the brig.'

This was spoken with such sincerity and warmth, that Miss Fontleroy
gazed upon him with a glance of wonder.

`You are very kind, Monsieur,' she said, slightly coloring.

`I am happy to be thought so by one I so much esteem as yourself,
Mademoiselle Fontleroy.' The Captain, while speaking these bold
words, bravely looked her full in the face, though he colored to the
eyes as he did so. But he had made up his mind to screw his courage
up and make a bold stroke.

`Indeed, Monsieur, you are pleased to compliment me,' she replied,
smiling and blushing.

`I feel too sincerely — too deeply — too profoundly, I may say — to
compliment you. What I have said, I have said from my heart. Yes,
from my heart, Mademoiselle!'

`Here the Captain laid his hand upon his heart, in a very impressive
manner. The maiden looked surprised and confused. She parted her
pretty lips three several times to make some response, but she could not
utter a word; but burst out with a peal of merry laughter that quite
astounded the lover.

`Why, bless me, you are very merry, Mademoiselle! It is a very
serious business with me, I assure you. To speak to the point, I am
dead in love with you. From the first moment you came into the brig
you won my heart. I am now ready to offer you my hand. I am a
sailor, Mademoiselle, and do n't understand making love quite so well

as I do fighting, so pardon my bluntness. I am completely on my
beam-ends. You have done all this mischief and it is your part to
repair it, by giving me your heart in exchange for mine. I love you
with all my soul, and I'll make you the happiest wife in Christendom
or out of it. I've tried to get to the windward of loving you, but I
could n't do it; and so I have had to run down under your lee and
surrender.'

`You honor me greatly,' answered the beautiful woman, with an air
half serious, half arch; `but are you courting me for yourself, Captain,
or for your lieutenant?'

`For my lieutenant! no, no! He can do his own courting too
successfully. What the deuce did you ask me that for?' he asked,
laughing, yet looking confused and amazed.

`Because he a little while ago was courting me in your behalf, and I
did not know,' she added, naively, but that you were reciprocating the
favor.'

`Bless me, what a baggage you are!' cried the Captain, laughing.
She laughed also very merrily. Confidence seemed at once established
between them. He took courage, under cover of the good humored
mirth, to seize her hand, press it to his lips, and boldly to reiterate his
passion, solemnly assuring her that if she refused to listen, he should
forthwith blow out his brains, or do something worse.