97.
Chapter XCVII.
THE ADMIRAL'S PREPARATIONS, AND THE VISIT TO DEARBROOK.
It was quite finally settled between the admiral and the Bannerworths
that he was to have the whole conducting of the marriage business, and he even
succeeded in getting a concession from Flora Bannerworth, that he might invite
more than twenty guests as had at first been stipulated. Indeed, she told him
that he might ask forty if he pleased.
The admiral had asked for this enlargement of his of powers, because he
had received from the lawyer such a satisfactory list of people who were
eligible to be invited, that he found it extremely difficult to draw any
invidious distinction; and, accordingly, he felt fully inclined, as far as he
was concerned, to invite them all, which was a piece of liberality he scarcely
expected Flora would accede to.
When, however, he got leave to double the number, he considered that he
was all right, and he said to Jack Pringle, to whom, as usual, he had got
completely reconciled,—
"I say, Jack, my boy, we'll have the whole ship's crew, and no mistake;
for, at a wedding, the more the merrier, you know."
"Ay, ay, sir," said Jack, "that's true. I have not been married more
than a dozen times myself, at the outside, and I always took care to have lots
of fun."
"A dozen times, Jack! you don't mean that?"
"I rather think I does. You know I was married at different ports of
India twice; and then wasn't I married in Jamaky; and then after that wasn't I
married in the South Seas, in one of the Friendly Islands?"
"A deuced deal too friendly, I should say. Why, confound you, Jack, you
must have the impudence of the very devil."
"Yes, I believe ye I have. I look upon it that it's our impudence has
got us on in the world."
"How dare you say our, you vagabond? But, however, I won't quarrel with
you now, at any rate, for I expect you to dance a hornpipe at the wedding.
But mind me now, Jack, I am serious—I won't have any drunkenness."
"Well, it's rather a hard thing that a fellow can't get drunk at a
wedding; but I suppose I must put up with that deadly injury, and do the best
I can. And now, admiral, as you have looked over that little affair of mine,
in going to the lawyer's when you didn't want me, I'll make you a voluntary
promise, and that is, that I'll only take two bottles all the day long."
"Two bottles of what?"
"Oh, rum, of course."
"Well, that's moderate; for as I have known you, I think, take about
five, of course I can't very well say anything to two; so you may take that
much, Jack, for I really think you won't be much the worse of it."
"The worse of it! I should think not, sir. It rather strikes me that
two bottles of rum wouldn't hurt a new-born baby. It's just for all the world
like milk, you know; it has no effect upon me; and as far as being fond of
drink goes, I'd just as soon take pump water, if it had a different taste, and
was a d—-d deal stronger."
"Well, well, Jack, that's a bargain, you know, so we need say nothing
more about it."
"I suppose there will be a fiddle, and all that sort of thing?"
"Oh, don't doubt that there shall be lots of fun."
"Then I am your man. I'll show them a thing or two that will make them
open their eyes a bit; and if so be as they wants anything in the shape of a
yarn, I'm the proper sort of individual to give it them, I rather think, and
no mistake. I'll tell them how you ran away once, with a female savage after
you, with a long thing like a skewer, that she called a spear, and how you
called to all the ship's crew to come and help you, as if the very devil was
at your heels."
Jack very prudently did not wait for an answer to this; for he was rather
well aware that it was not the sort of thing that was exactly pleasing to the
admiral, who was just upon the point, of course, of getting into one of his
rages, which would have produced another quarrel, only, as a matter of course,
to end in another reconciliation.
The old man, however, was too well pleased with the unlimited commission
he had to do as he pleased regarding the marriage affair, to allow himself to
be put much out of the way in the matter, and he bent all his mind and
energies towards the completion of that piece of business which he had in
hand, and which was certainly the most interesting to him that he had ever
been permitted to engage in.
Passing as he did almost the whole of his life upon the ocean, he had
never married, and his affection for Charles Holland, who was the only
relative he had in the world, was of that concentrated nature which is only to
be found under such circumstances.
Charles's mother had always had a large portion of the admiral's regards,
and when upon returning home once from a cruise of three years' duration he
found that she was dead, and had left behind her an orphan child, he at once
avowed his intention of filling the place of a parent to it, and that he had
both in the spirit and the letter kept his word, we know that Charles Holland
was always most ready to admit.
Perhaps the severest shock he ever experienced was when that letter
purporting to be from Charles, but which was really the production of
Marchdale and Varney, was produced, and which seemed at the first blush to
imply a dishonourable breaking of his contract with Flora; and if anything
could have increased his admiration of her, it certainly was the generous and
noble manner in which she repudiated that attempt to injure Charles in her
esteem, and at once declared her belief that the letter was a forged document.
We may easily imagine, then, from these preceding circumstances, that the
marriage of Charles with one whom he so entirely approved of was one of the
most gratifying affairs in the old man's life, and that he viewed it with an
extraordinary interest.
As we have before stated, he got possession for a month of the house on
which he had fixed his fancy, and an extremely handsome and commodious place
it was.
It was arranged that after they had remained there for some time they
should all move off to Dearbrook together, and as it was only in early infancy
that the Barnnerworths had seen that estate, they purposed paying it a visit
before the marriage ceremony took place.
This was an idea of the old admiral's, for he said truly enough, "You
can't possibly know what state it is in till you go there, and it may be
necessary, for all we know, to do a great deal to it before it is fit for
occupation."
Apart from this consideration, too, it seemed likely enough that somebody
might be in it; for of late it had changed hands, and, for all they knew, the
Bannerworth family might have to institute a suit at law for its recovery.
The distance was sufficient to make it a whole day's journey; but it was
a very pleasant one, for they went in a travelling carriage, replete with
every accommodation, and the road passed through one of the most fertile and
picturesque counties of England, being interspersed with hill and dale most
charmingly, and reminding the younger branches of the Bannerworths of some of
those delightful continental excursions which they once had the means of
making, but which, for a long time, they had not had an opportunity of
enjoying.
It was towards the close of a day of great beauty, for the season, that
they reached the village of Dearbrook, close to where the estate was situated,
and put up at the principal inn, to which they were directed.
The circumstances under which the Dearbrook property had been left for a
long time had been such, that there was likely to be some difficulty
concerning it.
In fact, it had been used by Marmaduke Bannerworth as a kind of security
from time to time for his gambling debts, so it was probable that hardly any
one had had it long enough to trouble himself about rentals.
"If we find any one," said Henry Bannerworth, "in possession, I shall not
trouble them to pay anything for the use of the house they have had, provided
they quietly give up possession, and leave the place in a decent state."
"Oh, that of course they will do," said Charles Holland, "and be too glad
to escape arrears of rent; but it would be no bad thing to ask the landlord of
this house what is the state of the property; no doubt he can not only let us
know whether it be tenanted or not, but, if so, what sort of people they are
who occupy it."
This suggestion was agreed to, and when the landlord was summoned, and
the question put, he said, —
"Oh, yes, I know the Dearbrook estate quite well; it's a very handsome
little property, and is at present occupied by a Mr. Jeremiah Shepherd, a
Quaker—a very worthy gentleman indeed, I believe; but I suppose all Quakers
are worthy people, because, you see, sir, they wear broad brimmed hats and no
collars to their coats."
"An excellent reason," said the admiral; "but I had a friend who did know
something about Quakers, and he used to say that they had got such a
reputation for honesty that they could affort to be rogues for the rest of
their existence."
"Well, well," said Henry, "we can but call upon him. Do you think that
this would be a reasonable hour?"
"Oh, yes, sir," said the landlord; "he is sure to be at home at this hour
if you have any business to transact with Mr. Shepherd. He is a very
respectable man, sir, and as it is his own property that he lives upon, he is
quite a gentleman, and never wears anything but drab breeches and gaiters."
Without waiting to enter into any further conversation with the landlord,
who had such extraordinary reasons for his opinions, Henry, and Charles, and
the admiral, leaving the rest of the party at the inn, proceeded to Dearbrook
Lodge, as it was called, and found as they approached it that it exceeded in
appearance their warmest anticipations.
It was a substantial red brick house, of the Tudor style of architecture,
and had that air of dignified and quite repose about it which a magnificent
lawn, of the greenest possible turf, in the front always gives to a country
mansion.
The grounds, too, seemed to be extensive, and, to take it for all in all,
the Bannerworth family had every reason to be well pleased with this first
view that they got of their acquired property.
"You will have some trouble," said the admiral, "with the Quaker, you may
depend. They are a race that cry hold fast to anything in the shape of
pounds, shillings, and pence, and are not very easy to be dealt with."
"Oh, the man will not be so absurd, I should think," said Charles. "It
can be proved that the estate was in the Bannerworth family for many years,
and your possession, Henry, of the title deeds will set the question at rest.
But see what a stately looking servant is coming in answer to the ring which I
have just given to the bell."
A footman, most certainly having all the appearance of what is so
frequently advertised for as "a serious man servant," advanced to the gate,
and, in answer to the inquiry if Mr. Shepherd was within, he said, —
"Yes, truly is he; but he liketh not to be disturbed, for he is at
prayers—that is to say, at dinner, and is not accustomed to be disturbed
thereat."
"I regret that we must disturb him," said Henry, "for our business
happens to be important, and we must positively see him."
Upon this remonstrance the servant unlocked the gate, and conducted them
up a path by the side of the lawn which led to the house, and the more they
saw of it the more pleased they were with the many natural beauties with which
it abounded, and Henry whispered to Charles, —
"I am quite sure that Flora will be delighted with this place, for, if I
know anything of her taste, it will just suit it agreeably and comfortably,
and I do sincerely hope that we shall be able to get possession without the
disagreeable necessity of a law suit."
They were ushered into a handsome apartment, and then told that Mr.
Shepherd would be with them very shortly; and they were not sorry to have a
little leisure for studying the place before its reputed owner made his
appearance.
"I suppose," said Henry, "the best way will be at once to state that I am
the owner of the place, and upon what conditions I am willing to forego any
claim that I might otherwise succeed in setting up for arrears of rental
during the time that he has been here."
"Oh, yes," said Charles; "you cannot be too explicit; but hush! here he
comes, and you will soon know what sort of an individual you have to deal with
in this matter."
At this moment, the door opened, and Mr. Shepherd, the present ostensible
possessor of the Dearbrook estate, and whose appearance spoke to the truth of
the landlord's word, make his appearance. But as what he said was
sufficiently important to deserve a new chapter, we shall oblige him with one.
—
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