The Two Admirals (27 page)

"It's a melancholy business, Mrs. Dutton; I fear there can be little
hope."

"Yes, it's all
that
, Admiral Blue," continued Galleygo, following the
party into the house, no one but himself hearing a word he uttered; "and
'twill be worse, afore it's any better. They tells me potaties has taken
a start, too; and, as all the b'ys of all the young gentlemen in the
fleet is out, like so many wild locusts of Hegypt, I expects nothing
better than as our mess will fare as bad as sogers on a retreat."

In the hall, Tom Wychecombe, and his namesake, the lieutenant, met the
party. From the formal despondency of the first, every thing they
apprehended was confirmed. The last, however, was more cheerful, and not
altogether without hope; as he did not hesitate openly to avow.

"For myself, I confess I think Sir Wycherly much better," he said;
"although the opinion is not sanctioned by that of the medical men. His
desiring to see these ladies is favourable; and then cheering news for
him has been brought back, already, by the messenger sent, only eight
hours since, for his kinsman, Sir Reginald Wychecombe. He has sensibly
revived since that report was brought in."

"Ah! my dear namesake," rejoined Tom, shaking his head, mournfully; "you
cannot know my beloved uncle's constitution and feelings as well as I!
Rely on it, the medical men are right; and your hopes deceive you. The
sending for Mrs. Dutton and Miss Mildred, both of whom my honoured uncle
respects and esteems, looks more like leave-taking than any thing else;
and, as to Sir Reginald Wychecombe,—though a relative, beyond a
question,—I think there has been some mistake in sending for him; since
he is barely an acquaintance of the elder branch of the family, and he
is of the half-blood."

"
Half
what, Mr. Thomas Wychecombe?" demanded the vice-admiral so
suddenly, behind the speaker, as to cause all to start; Sir Gervaise
having hastened to meet the ladies and his friend, as soon as he knew of
their arrival. "I ask pardon, sir, for my abrupt inquiry; but, as
I
was the means of sending for Sir Reginald Wychecombe, I feel an interest
in knowing his exact relationship to my host?"

Tom started, and even paled, at this sudden question; then the colour
rushed into his temples; he became calmer, and replied:

"
Half-blood
, Sir Gervaise," he said, steadily. "This is an affinity
that puts a person altogether out of the line of succession; and, of
course, removes any necessity, or wish, to see Sir Reginald."

"Half-
blood
—hey! Atwood?" muttered the vice-admiral, turning away
towards his secretary, who had followed him down stairs. "This may be
the solution, after all! Do you happen to know what half-
blood
means?
It cannot signify that Sir Reginald comes from one of those, who have no
father—all their ancestry consisting only of a mother?"

"I should think not, Sir Gervaise; in that case, Sir Reiginald would
scarcely be considered of so honourable a lineage, as he appears to be.
I have not the smallest idea, sir, what half-
blood
means; and,
perhaps, it may not be amiss to inquire of the medical gentlemen.
Magrath is up stairs; possibly he can tell us."

"I rather think it has something to do with the law. If this
out-of-the-way place, now, could furnish even a lubberly attorney, we
might learn all about it. Harkee, Atwood; you must stand by to make Sir
Wycherly's will, if he says any thing more about it—have you got the
heading all written out, as I desired."

"It is quite ready, Sir Gervaise—beginning, as usual, 'In the name of
God, Amen.' I have even ventured so far as to describe the testator's
style and residence, &c. &c.—'I, Sir Wycherly Wychecombe, Bart., of
Wychecombe Hall, Devon, do make and declare this to be my last will and
testament, &c. &c.' Nothing is wanting but the devises, as the lawyers
call them. I can manage a will, well enough, Sir Gervaise, I believe.
One of mine has been in the courts, now, these five years, and they tell
me it sticks there, as well as if it had been drawn in the Middle
Temple."

"Ay, I know your skill. Still, there can be no harm in just asking
Magrath; though I think it must be law, after all! Run up and ask him,
Atwood, and bring me the answer in the drawing-room, where I see
Bluewater has gone with his convoy; and—harkee—tell the surgeons to
let us know the instant the patient says any thing about his temporal
affairs. The twenty thousand in the funds are his, to do what he pleases
with; let the land be tied up, as it may."

While this "aside," was going on in the hall, Bluewater and the rest of
the party had entered a small parlour, that was in constant use, still
conversing of the state of Sir Wycherly. As all of them, but the two
young men, were ignorant of the nature of the message to Sir Reginald
Wychecombe, and of the intelligence in connection with that gentleman,
which had just been received, Mrs. Dutton ventured to ask an
explanation, which was given by Wycherly, with a readiness that proved
he
felt no apprehensions on the subject.

"Sir Wycherly desired to see his distant relative, Sir Reginald," said
the lieutenant; "and the messenger who was sent to request his
attendance, fortunately learned from a post-boy, that the Hertfordshire
baronet, in common with many other gentlemen, is travelling in the west,
just at this moment; and that he slept last night, at a house only
twenty miles distant. The express reached him several hours since, and
an answer has been received, informing us that we may expect to see him,
in an hour or two."

Thus much was related by Wycherly; but, we may add that Sir Reginald
Wychecombe was a Catholic, as it was then usual to term the Romanists,
and in secret, a Jacobite; and, in common with many of that religious
persuasion, he was down in the west, to see if a rising could not be
organized in that part of the kingdom, as a diversion to any attempt to
repel the young Pretender in the north. As the utmost caution was used
by the conspirators, this fact was not even suspected by any who were
not in the secret of the whole proceeding. Understanding that his
relation was an inefficient old man, Sir Reginald, himself an active and
sagacious intriguer, had approached thus near to the old paternal
residence of his family, in order to ascertain if his own name and
descent might not aid him in obtaining levies among the ancient tenantry
of the estate. That day he had actually intended to appear at
Wychecombe, disguised, and under an assumed name. He proposed venturing
on this step, because circumstances put it in his power, to give what he
thought would be received as a sufficient excuse, should his conduct
excite comment.

Sir Reginald Wychecombe was a singular, but by no means an unnatural
compound of management and integrity. His position as a Papist had
disposed him to intrigue, while his position as one proscribed by
religious hostility, had disposed him to be a Papist. Thousands are made
men of activity, and even of importance, by persecution and
proscription, who would pass through life quietly and unnoticed, if the
meddling hand of human forethought did not force them into situations
that awaken their hostility, and quicken their powers. This gentleman
was a firm believer in all the traditions of his church, though his
learning extended little beyond his missal; and he put the most implicit
reliance on the absurd, because improbable, fiction of the Nag's Head
consecration, without having even deemed it necessary to look into a
particle of that testimony by which alone such a controversy could be
decided. In a word, he was an instance of what religious intolerance has
ever done, and will probably for ever continue to do, with so wayward a
being as man.

Apart from this weakness, Sir Reginald Wychecombe had both a shrewd and
an inquiring mind. His religion he left very much to the priests; but of
his temporal affairs he assumed a careful and prudent supervision. He
was much richer than the head of the family; but, while he had no
meannesses connected with money, he had no objection to be the possessor
of the old family estates. Of his own relation to the head of this
family, he was perfectly aware, and the circumstance of the half-blood,
with all its legal consequences, was no secret to him. Sir Reginald
Wychecombe was not a man to be so situated, without having recourse to
all proper means, in order, as it has become the fashion of the day to
express it, "to define his position." By means of a shrewd attorney, if
not of his own religious, at least of his own political opinions, he had
ascertained the fact, and this from the mouth of Martha herself, that
Baron Wychecombe had never married; and that, consequently, Tom and his
brothers were no more heirs at law to the Wychecombe estate, than he was
in his own person. He fully understood, too, that there
was
no heir at
law; and that the lands must escheat, unless the present owner made a
will; and to this last act, his precise information told him that Sir
Wycherly had an unconquerable reluctance. Under such circumstances, it
is not at all surprising, that when the Hertfordshire baronet was thus
unexpectedly summoned to the bed-side of his distant kinsman, he
inferred that his own claims were at length to be tardily acknowledged,
and that he was about to be put in possession of the estates of his
legitimate ancestors. It is still less wonderful, that, believing this,
he promptly promised to lose no time in obeying the summons, determining
momentarily to forget his political, in order to look a little after his
personal interests.

The reader will understand, of course, that all these details were
unknown to the inmates of the Hall, beyond the fact of the expected
arrival of Sir Reginald Wychecombe, and that of the circumstance of the
half-blood; which, in its true bearing, was known alone to Tom. Their
thoughts were directed towards the situation of their host, and little
was said, or done, that had not his immediate condition for the object.
It being understood, however, that the surgeons kept the sick chamber
closed against all visiters, a silent and melancholy breakfast was taken
by the whole party, in waiting for the moment when they might be
admitted. When this cheerless meal was ended, Sir Gervaise desired
Bluewater to follow him to his room, whither he led the way in person.

"It is possible, certainly, that Vervillin is out," commenced the
vice-admiral, when they were alone; "but we shall know more about it,
when the cutter gets in, and reports. You saw nothing but her number, I
think you told me?"

"She was at work with private signals, when I left the head-land; of
course I was unable to read them without the book."

"That Vervillin is a good fellow," returned Sir Gervaise, rubbing his
hands; a way he had when much pleased; "and has stuff in him. He has
thirteen two-decked ships, Dick, and that will be one apiece for our
captains, and a spare one for each of our flags. I believe there is no
three-decker in that squadron?"

"There you've made a small mistake, Sir Gervaise, as the Comte de
Vervillin had his flag in the largest three-decker of France;
le
Bourbon
120. The rest of his ships are like our own, though much fuller
manned."

"Never mind, Blue—never mind:—we'll put two on the Bourbon, and try to
make our frigates of use. Besides, you have a knack at keeping the fleet
so compact, that it is nearly a single battery."

"May I venture to ask, then, if it's your intention to go out, should
the news by the Active prove to be what you anticipate?"

Sir Gervaise cast a quick, distrustful glance at the other, anxious to
read the motive for the question, at the same time that he did not wish
to betray his own feelings; then he appeared to meditate on the answer.

"It is not quite agreeable to lie here, chafing our cables, with a
French squadron roving the channel," he said; "but I rather think it's
my duty to wait for orders from the Admiralty, under present
circumstances."

"Do you expect my lords will send you through the Straits of Dover, to
blockade the Frith?"

"If they do, Bluewater, I shall hope for your company. I trust, a
night's rest has given you different views of what ought to be a
seaman's duty, when his country is at open war with her ancient and most
powerful enemies."

"It is the prerogative of the
crown
to declare war, Oakes. No one but
a
lawful
sovereign can make a
lawful
war."

"Ay, here come your cursed distinctions about
de jure
and
de facto
,
again. By the way, Dick, you are something of a scholar—can you tell me
what is understood by calling a man a
nullus
?"

Admiral Bluewater, who had taken his usual lolling attitude in the most
comfortable chair he could find, while his more mercurial friend kept
pacing the room, now raised his head in surprise, following the quick
motions of the other, with his eyes, as if he doubted whether he had
rightly heard the question.

"It's plain English, is it not?—or plain
Latin
, if you will—what is
meant by calling a man a
nullus
?" repeated Sir Gervaise, observing the
other's manner.

"The Latin is
plain
enough, certainly," returned Bluewater, smiling;
"you surely do not mean
nullus, nulla, nullum
?"

"Exactly that—you've hit it to a gender.—
Nullus, nulla, nullum
.
No
man
, no
woman
, no
thing
. Masculine, feminine, neuter."

"I never heard the saying. If ever used, it must be some silly play on
sounds, and mean a numskull—or, perhaps, a fling at a fellow's
position, by saying he is a 'nobody.' Who the deuce has been calling
another a
nullus
, in the presence of the commander-in-chief of the
southern squadron?"