49. CHAPTER XLIX.
HOW CAPTAIN RALPH WATERS FULFILLED HIS MISSION.
“Now, my dear comrade,” said the captain, when he and
St. John were alone over their wine, “now we can come to
our little arrangements, and I can report progress.”
“Thanks, my dear captain,” replied St. John, “and first,
what time is fixed on?”
“To-morrow morning.”
“The place?”
“Jamestown island. Have you any objection?”
“None captain, though I was there lately upon a more
agreeable errand.”
“Well, that's settled then; but I'll proceed more in order
and tell you how I set to work—shall I?”
“It will interest me.”
“Well,” said the captain, filling his glass and pushing
the bottle, “I was at the Raleigh tavern duly as I informed
Monseigneur Lindon, and I duly received a visit from
Foy—”
“A strange second, is he not?”
“Why no—how?”
“He looks so peaceful?”
“You do n't know him, mon ami; he's a perfect takein,
that Foy is—a real sword blade, ventrebleu! Well Foy
came and we made each other the lowest and most courteous
bow. You see we are both of us old hands at this
business, and we went at it like ducks to water. `My dear
Foy, is it so and so?' `Yes, my dear captain,' bowing,
smiling, as amicable as two ganders hissing and wagging
their beaks at each other.”
St. John smiled.
“Then every thing was easily arranged?”
“By no means.”
“Explain yourself.”
“With pleasure. Foy, you see, was in favor of going out
of the province to fight—”
“Out of the province!”
“Yes, he was a little touchy about Dunmore, and so the
conversation was something like the following. I listen to
his proposition, smiling politely, and the first remark I make
is, `My dear Foy, are you afraid?'
“ `Afraid, sir?' he says, coldly; `I am not accustomed to
feel afraid!'
“ `Oh well, my dear comrade, do n't be offended,' I replied,
`it really did seem to me that this looked something
like fear—of his Excellency.'
“ `His Excellency is not my master, Captain Waters.'
“ `Really, now, is he not?'
“ `No, sir!' this observation being uttered with a sort of
flash out of the eyes, you see.
“ `Oh, my dear comrade,' I say, `just see now how you
are deprived of that praise which is justly your due! 'T is
whispered everywhere that it is his Excellency who really
employs Conolly in his rascally mission to embroil the borderers,
and that you are only the instrument he uses, when
in fact you are all the while head man.' ”
“Why, captain,” said St. John, smiling, “that seems to
me nothing more nor less than an insult!”
“Precisely, mon ami,” said the captain, cheerfully, “just
so.”
“You wished to insult Captain Foy?”
“Yes.”
“For what purpose?”
“In order that a little affair might be hatched between
him and myself.”
“Ah! indeed!”
“Exactly, my dear fellow. Ventrebleu! you have no
idea how many overtures I have made to Foy in order to
draw him into a quarrel. But he won't take offense.”
“Your object? Do you hate him?”
“Not at all.”
“Why then—”
“Wish to fight him? Simply because I wish to put an
end to his maneuvers! I do hate Dunmore, and by running
Foy through the gizzard, you see, I disable his Excellency's
right arm to the shoulder blade.”
The cheerful way in which Captain Waters unfolded these
views was admirable to behold.
“I'm merely a rude soldier, you see, mon ami,” he continued,
“but having learned diplomacy on the continent, I
practice it here. That was my object then in drawing Foy
out, and I thought I had him that time!”
“What did he reply?”
“Well, for a moment he said nothing. You see, I had
said that he ought to have the praise of employing Conolly
on that
rascally mission, and I waited, smiling, for him to
insult me again.”
“Did he fail to?”
“Point blank. I was all ready—getting my hand ready
to take off my hat and bow, and say, `Well, when shall we
settle our little difference, comrade?' In a word, I looked
for an explosion. It never came. Foy only looks at me
with those wicked eyes, and says, `I have already disclaimed
more than a passing acquaintance with Major Conolly, Captain
Waters—let us return to our affair.'
“ `In an instant, directly, my dear comrade,' I say politely,
`but first tell me one thing.'
“ `What is that, sir?'
“ `Is it really true,' I continued, smiling, `that Conolly
has orders from Dunmore, or his tools in Williamsburg, to
promise the Indians assistance from his Excellency, if they
make an inroad and massacre the people on the Virginia
borders?'
“As I say this, Foy's eye flashes worse than ever, and
his thin lips contract. He advances a step, frowning.
“ `Captain Waters,' he says, `do I look like a man who
is fond of being insulted?'
“ `Why no, comrade.'
“ `Do I look like a man,' he continues, does this red-hot
Foy! `who would leave his sword in its scabbard if it was
possible to draw it?'
“ `No,' I reply, `and whether you look so or not, I know
you can use it, and have the will, companion.'
“ `Well, sir,' he says, with real dignity, hang him! `well,
sir, if I do not cram down your throat the insults you have
addressed to me, you may understand that I refrain simply
because my hands are bound for the present by the office I
hold, otherwise, Captain Waters,' he adds, bowing, `it would
give me immense pleasure to cut your throat!' Those were
his very words.”
And the soldier burst out laughing, in which laughter St.
John united.
“You see, after that, my dear fellow,” said the captain, “I
could not add another insult.”
“Certainly not.”
“In fact I positively adored Foy after that reply! He
looked so gallant, when he said it! he touched his left side,
where a sword ought to have been, with such an air! he
was so cool, and elegant, and ferocious, when he mentioned
his desire to cut my throat, that I could have embraced him
as a brother!”
The captain twirled his moustache with admiration to his
very eyes as he spoke, and seemed lost in delighted contemplation.
“Well,” said St. John, laughing, “after that the interview
was more friendly?”
“Friendly! I believe you! After that it was positively
fraternal! Then it was that we came to resemble two high-bred
geese, nodding our heads, and uttering `Ah's!' and
`Oh's!' and `By no means!' and `Really captain's!' You
ought to have seen us! We would not overcome each other;
we could not force each other to accept what each wanted.
It was,
“ `Really, my dear Captain Waters, it must be Jamestown
island, as you wish!'
“ `No, upon my honor, my dear Foy, it shall be out of
the province, as you desire!'
“ `I never can consent to inconvenience such a gallant
man!'
“ `I never should hold up my head again if I forced such
a noble gentleman as you, my dear Foy, to quarrel with his
Excellency!' It was this, that, the other, no, yes, really,
truly! At last I yielded, and to see how Foy pressed my
hand you would have thought I had done him the greatest
favor in the world.
“ `I shall not quarrel with his Excellency, captain,' he
says, smiling, `and I have already said he is not my master.'
“ `Do n't allude to my miserable rudeness, comrade” I
reply; `it wounds me to the heart, and I shall shed
tears.'
“ `That is all forgotten, captain,' says Foy; `a mere jest.
Do not think that I shall suffer from engaging as second in
a combat to take place at Jamestown island. His Excellency
will not inquire very closely, for you know, my dear
Captain Waters,' adds Foy, with a tiger smile, `you know my
principal, Mr. Lindon, is a perfect master of every weapon,
and he'll be sure to kill Mr. St. John! You will understand,
in the present state of affairs betwen Mr. St. John
and his Excellency,' adds Foy, smiling, `that Mr. Lindon or
myself will not be very severely scolded!' ”
“Pshaw, captain!” said St. John, “your hero turns out
a boaster, and a mere blood-thirsty calculator of chances!”
“Certainly! Do n't you comprehend that all his bowing
and smiling was acted?”
“Eh?”
“Nothing less,” returned the captain. “Foy, mon ami!
is, by nature, as great a comedian as that celebrated little
Garrick I saw in London. I know him well—but, to finish.”
“Yes, let us hear the rest.”
“I will be more brief. The weapons then came up, and
we had some discussion as to the length and other points.
There was no real difficulty, because both you and Mr. Lindon
prefer swords. So that was arranged, and I engaged to
provide them of exactly the same length. It is the ordinary
length, and I'll show them to you directly. Then the hour
of seven, to-morrow morning, was fixed on, and we parted,
mutually pleased with each other. My only hope with Foy
now is to drive him into insulting me, and then of course he
can't refuse my challenge. I would cheerfully pay five
hundred pounds to have him, for ten minutes, at arm's
length!”
Having expressed himself cheerfully to this effect, Captain
Waters emptied his glass, and suggested a stroll on
the lawn.
The young man rose, and the captain led the way out.
It had been arranged that St. John should remain at Flodden
for convenience, and accompany his host in his own
carriage, and every detail being thus determined on, even
down to the hour to awake, the subject was for the moment
dismissed.
