85.
Chapter LXXXIV.
THE EXCITED POPULACE. —THE PLACE OF REFUGE.
There seemed now a complete lull in the proceedings as connected with
Varney, the vampyre. We have reason to believe that the executioner who had
been as solicitous as Varney to obtain undisputed possession of Bannerworth
Hall, has fallen a victim to the indiscriminate rage of the mob. Varney
himself is a fugitive, and bound by the most solemn ties to Charles Holland,
not only to communicate to him such particulars of the past, as will bring
satisfaction to his mind, but to abstain from any act which, for the future,
shall exercise a disastrous influence upon the happiness of Flora.
The doctor and the admiral, with Henry, had betaken themselves from the
Hall as we had recorded, and, in due time, reached the cottage where Flora and
her mother had found a temporary refuge.
Mrs. Bannerworth was up; but Flora was sleeping, and, although the
tidings they had to tell were of a curious and mixed nature, they would not
have her disturbed to listen to them.
And, likewise, they were rather pleased than otherwise, since they knew
not exactly what had become of Charles Holland, to think that they would
probably be spared the necessity of saying they could not account for his
absence.
That he had gone upon some expedition, probably dangerous, and so one
which he did not wish to communicate the particulars of to his friends, lest
they should make a strong attempt to dissuade him from it, they were induced
to believe.
But yet they had that confidence in his courage and active intellectual
resources, to believe that he would come through it unscathed, and, probably,
shortly show himself at the cottage.
In this hope they were not disappointed, for in about two hours Charles
made his appearance; but, until he began to be questioned concerning his
absence by the admiral, he scarcely considered the kind of dilemma he had put
himself into by the promise of secrecy he had given to Varney, and was a
little puzzled to think how much he might tell, and how much he was bound in
honour to conceal.
"Avast there!" cried the admiral; "what's become of your tongue, Charles?
You've been on some cruize, I'll be bound. Haul over the ship's books, and
tell us what's happened."
"I have been upon an adventure," said Charles, "which I hope will be
productive of beneficial results to us all; but, the fact is, I have made a
promise, perhaps incautiously, that I will not communicate what I know."
"Whew!" said the admiral; "that's awkward; but, however, if a man sails
under sealed instructions, there's an end of it. I remember when I was off
Candia once —"
"Ha!" interposed Jack, "that was the time you tumbled over the blessed
binnacle, all in consequence of taking too much Madiera. I remember it, too
—it's an out and out good story, that 'ere. You took a rope's end, you
know, and laid into the bowsprit; and, says you, 'Get up, you lubber,' says
you, all the while a thinking, I suppose, as it was long Jack Ingram, the
carpenter's mate, laying asleep. What a lark!"
"This scoundrel will be the death of me," said the admiral; "there isn't
one word of truth in what he says. I never got drunk in all my life, as
everybody knows. Jack, affairs are getting serious between you and I —we
must part, and for good. It's a good many times that I've told you you've
forgot the difference between the quarter-deck and the caboose. Now, I'm
serious —you're off the ship's books, and there's an end of you."
"Very good," said Jack; "I'm willing. I'll leave you. Do you think I
want to keep you any longer? Good by, old bloak —I'll leave you to repent,
and when old grim death comes yard-arm with you, and you can't shake off his
boarding-tackle, you'll say, 'Where's Jack Pringle?' says you; and then what's
his name —oh, ah! echo you call it —echo'll say, it's d——d if it knows."
Jack turned upon his heel, and before the admiral could make any reply,
he left the place.
"What's the rascal up to now?" said the admiral. "I really didn't think
he'd have taken me at my word."
"Oh, then, after all, you didn't mean it, uncle?" said Charles.
"What's that to you, you lubber, whether I mean it, or not, you shore-going squab? Of course I expect everybody to desert an old hulk, rats and all
—and now Jack Pringle's gone; the vagabond, couldn't he stay? and get drunk
as long as he liked! Didn't he say what he pleased, and do what he pleased,
the mutinous thief? Didn't he say I run away from a Frenchman off Cape
Ushant, and didn't I put up with that?"
"But, my dear uncle, you sent him away yourself."
"I didn't, and you know I didn't; but I see how it is, you've disgusted
Jack among you. A better seaman never trod the deck of a man-of-war."
"But his drunkenness, uncle?"
"It's a lie. I don't believe he ever got drunk. I believe you all
invented it, and Jack's so good-natured, he tumbled about just to keep you in
countenance."
"But his insolence, uncle; his gross insolence towards you —his
inventions, his exaggerations of the truth?"
"Avast, there —avast, there, —none of that, Master Charlie; Jack
couldn't do anything of the sort; and I means to say this, that if Jack was
here now, I'd stick up for him, and say he was a good seaman."
"Tip us your fin, then," said Jack, darting into the room; "do you think
I'd leave you, you d——d old fool? What would become of you, I wonder, if I
wasn't to take you in to dry nurse? Why, you blessed old babby, what do you
mean by it?"
"Jack, you villain!"
"Ah! go on and call me a villain as much as you like. Don't you remember
when the bullets were scuttling our nobs?"
"I do, I do, Jack; tip us your fin, old fellow. You've saved my life
more than once."
"It's a lie."
"It ain't. You did, I say."
"You be d——d!"
And thus was the most serious misunderstanding that these two worthies
ever had together made up. The real fact is, that the admiral could as little
do without Jack, as he could have done without food; and as for Pringle, he no
more thought of leaving the old commodore, than of —what shall we say?
forswearing rum. Jack himself could not have taken a stronger oath.
But the old admiral had suffered so much from the idea that Jack had
actually left him, that although he abused him as usual often enough, he never
again talked of taking him off the ship's books; and, to the credit of Jack be
it spoken, he took no advantage of the circumstance, and only got drunk just
as usual, and called his master an old fool whenever it suited him.
—