The Beautiful White Devil Part 32

I am drawing near the end of my long story now, and, when two more circ.u.mstances connected with our flight have been reported, I shall be able to lay down my pen and feel that the story of the one and only romance of my life has been written.

The first of the two circ.u.mstances to be recorded is my marriage. On July 18th, seven days exactly after saying good-bye to England, we reached Madeira. Previously to sighting the island, Walworth, in a conversation with the captain, had allowed him to suppose that Alie was a great heiress, and that ours was a runaway match. His nautical spirit of romance was stirred, and he found early occasion to inform me that he would do everything in his power to further the ends we had in view.

As soon, therefore, as we were at anchor in harbour, and the necessary formalities had been complied with, I went ash.o.r.e, hunted up the proper authorities, and obtained a special license. A parson was the next person required, and when I had discovered him in the little vicarage next door to his church, on the outskirts of the town, our wedding was arranged for the following day at ten o'clock.

Accordingly next morning after breakfast a boat was manned, and Alie, Janet, Walworth, the captain, and myself went ash.o.r.e. To avert suspicion we separated on landing, but met again at the church door half an hour later. It was a lovely morning, a heavy dew lay upon the gra.s.s, and when the sun came out and smiled upon us, the world looked as if it were decked with diamonds in honour of our wedding.

While we were waiting in the little porch and the clerk was opening the doors, Walworth went off and hunted up the parson. Five minutes afterwards they returned together, and then, before the bare little altar, with the sun streaming in through the open door, George De Normanville and Alie Dunbar were made man and wife. The register was then signed and witnessed, and having feed the clergyman and tipped the clerk, we all went back to the town again. It had all been most satisfactorily managed, and I had not the slightest doubt but that the half-imbecile old clergyman had forgotten our names almost before he had discarded his surplice in the vestry.

An hour later we were back on board the yacht, which had by this time replenished her supply of coal; steam was immediately got up, and by three o'clock we were safely out of sight of land once more. Now we had nothing to be afraid of save being stopped and overhauled by a man-of-war. But that was most unlikely, and even in the event of one heaving in sight and desiring to stop us, I had no doubt in my own mind that we possessed sufficiently quick heels to enable us to escape it.

But I am reminded that I have said nothing yet as to the joy and happiness which was mine in at last having Alie for my wife. I have also omitted, most criminally, to give you a full account of the wedding breakfast, which was held with becoming ceremony in the saloon of the yacht, as soon as we had got safely on our way once more. The captain's attempt at speech-making has not been reported, nor have I told you what a singular a.s.s I made of myself, and how I nearly broke down when I rose to reply to the toast of our healths. No! an account of those things, however interesting to those who actually took part in them, could be of little or no concern to anyone else. So for that reason, if for no other, I will be prudent and hold my tongue.

Of the rest of the voyage to the Mascarenhas, there is little to chronicle, save, perhaps, that we sighted Table Mountain in due course, rounded the Cape of Good Hope safely--though we had some choppy, nasty weather in doing so,--and pa.s.sing into the Indian Ocean, eventually arrived off the island of Reunion an hour before daybreak.

I was on deck before it was light, waiting eagerly for the first signs of day. Not a breath of wind was stirring and as we were only under the scantiest sail our progress was hardly discernible. Then little by little dawn broke upon us, a clear, pearl-gray light, in which the world appeared so silent and mysterious a place that one almost feared to breathe in it. While I was watching, I heard someone come across the deck behind me, and next moment a little hand stole into mine. It was Alie, my wife.

"Can you discern any sign of the schooner?" she asked.

Before answering I looked round the horizon, but there was not a sign of any sail at all. To port showed up the dim outline of the island, with a few small fis.h.i.+ng boats coming out to meet the rising sun, but in every other direction, there was nothing but grey sea softly heaving.

"No, darling," I answered, "I can see nothing of her. But we must not be too impatient. There is plenty of time for her to put in an appearance yet."

Five minutes later Walworth came up the companion ladder and joined us. Alie turned to him.

"I hope Captain Patterson thoroughly understood your instructions, Mr.

Walworth?" she said.

"I wired to him to be here a week ago," Walworth answered; "he was to expect us to-day, but, in case of our non-arrival, to continue cruising about in these waters until the end of the month."

"Then we need have no fear," she replied confidently; "we shall sight him before very long, I feel sure."

We then fell to pacing the deck together, talking of the future and all it promised for us.

Half an hour later the lookout whom the captain had sent into the fore crosstrees to report anything he might see, sang out, "Sail ho!"

"How does she bear?" cried the skipper from the deck.

"Dead ahead, sir!" was the man's reply.

"What does she look like?"

"A big topsail schooner, painted white."

"The _Lone Star_ for certain, then," said Alie, taking my hand again.

As she spoke, the breakfast bell sounded and we went below to our meal. When we returned to the deck the distance between the two boats had diminished considerably, and we could make out the schooner quite distinctly. She was little more than five miles away now, and there could be no possible doubt about her ident.i.ty. Then, as we watched, she went slowly about and next moment we saw a string of signals break out at her masthead.

Walworth took up a gla.s.s from the deck chair and reported that she was anxious to know our name and where we hailed from.

"Shall I answer?" he inquired.

"By all means," Alie replied; "did you bring the signals with you?"

"I have them in my berth," he answered, and dived below, to reappear a moment later with a bundle of bunting under his arms.

Having asked the skipper's permission, he bent them on to the halliards and ran them up to the gaff end. They streamed out upon the breeze, and as he watched them Walworth cried to Alie, with the first and only sign of excitement I have ever known him show:

"That will let them know that you are safe aboard!"

"Do you wish me to bring the yacht as close alongside as I can?" asked our skipper, who had been made aware of our intention to say good-bye to him immediately we sighted the _Lone Star_.

"If you will be so kind," I answered.

The necessary manoeuvre was thereupon executed, and presently the two yachts lay less than half a mile apart.

"What a lovely craft that is," said Janet, who had just come on deck and was watching her with increasing admiration.

"That is the _Lone Star_," said Alie, putting her arm round Janet's waist in her usual affectionate manner. "The boat which is to carry us to our home, dear Janet! May you be as happy on board as I have been."

"I think," I said, taking the opportunity of a pause in their conversation to make a practical suggestion, "if you ladies will allow me to say such a thing, it would be as well if we facilitated our trans.h.i.+pping by getting our luggage ready. If I mistake not, Patterson is piping a couple of boats away even now!"

I was right, for as we looked the boats were descending from the port davits.

"George is ever practical, is he not, Alie?" said Janet in a teasing tone. "I fear there is not much romance in his const.i.tution!"

"I am not quite so sure of that," said Alie, with a roguish glance at me, "and, all things considered, I think I may claim to be a very good judge."

"If I am to get the worst of it in this fas.h.i.+on," retorted Janet, with a great pretence of anger, "I shall go below and look after my luggage."

"Let us all go," said Alie, and down we accordingly went.

By the time the necessary work was accomplished and the crew had conveyed our luggage to the deck, the boats from the _Lone Star_ were alongside. They were in charge of Gammel, the third officer, who, when he came aboard, raised his hat respectfully to Alie; in return she shook him warmly by the hand and expressed the joy it was to her to see the _Lone Star_ again. The luggage was then conveyed down the gangway and put aboard one boat, which immediately set off for the schooner. At Alie's desire I then called the captain aft.

"Captain Brown," I said, "before we leave the yacht I should very much like with your permission to say a few words to your crew."

My request was granted, and the hands were immediately summoned aft.

Then, having descended to the cabin for something I wanted, I prepared to make a little speech.

"Captain Brown," I said, "officers and crew of this yacht, before we leave you to join yonder craft I wish, in my wife's name and my own, to thank you for the manner in which you have performed your respective duties. A pleasanter time than we have had aboard this yacht during the past six weeks no one could desire, and now that we are leaving you I desire to hand you some little souvenirs of our acquaintance. Accordingly I am presenting to your captain a sum of money which will allow each man of you five pounds when he arrives in England, and to the captain and his chief officer these two gold chronometers, which I hope will remind them of our short but intimate acquaintance."

When I had finished and had made the presentations, the captain, on behalf of the s.h.i.+p's company, replied, and then, amid hearty cheers, we descended the gangway, took our places in the boat, and set off for the _Lone Star_.

When we came alongside we discovered the whole s.h.i.+p's company drawn up to receive us. Patterson was at the gangway, and, to my surprise, welcomed us with more emotion than I had previously thought his character capable of exhibiting. I did not know until afterwards that he had become aware by cable of the dangerous situation from which we had rescued his leader.

As soon as we were safely on board, the boats were hoisted to the davits, sail was made, and after an exchange of salutations between the two yachts we separated, each proceeding on our different ways.

Of the voyage across the Indian Ocean there is little or nothing to be told; for the greater part of the distance fine weather accompanied us. We sat on deck or in the saloon, read, related our experiences, "fought our battles o'er again," and watched the ever-changing ocean.