Newton Forster Part 39

"Will you not take a little ham with it, Miss Tavistock?" said Captain Drawlock.

"If you please, sir."

"The honour of a gla.s.s of wine, Miss Tavistock," said the colonel.

"With pleasure, sir."

"Miss Charlotte Revel, you have really eaten nothing," said Captain Drawlock.

"That proves you have not paid me the least attention," replied the young lady. "Had you honoured me with a single glance during dinner, you could not but have observed that I have been dining very heartily."

"I really am quite shocked, Miss Charlotte, and bow to your reproof.

Will you take a gla.s.s of wine with me in reconciliation?"

"I consider a gla.s.s of Madeira a very poor bribe, sir."

"Well, then, Miss Charlotte, it shall be champagne," replied Captain Drawlock, in his gallantry. "Steward, champagne." A fortunate hit for the company, as champagne was in general only produced upon what sailors call 'clean s.h.i.+rt days,' viz. Sundays and Thursdays.

"We are highly indebted to Miss Revel," observed the colonel, bowing to her; "and I think we ought to drink her health in a b.u.mper."

Agreed to, _nem con_.

Champagne, thou darling of my heart! To stupefy oneself with other wines, is brutal; but to raise oneself to the seventh heaven with thee, is quite ethereal. The soul appears to spurn the body, and take a transient flight without its dull a.s.sociate--the--the--broke down, by Jupiter! All I meant to say was, that champagne is very pretty _tipple_; and so thought the dinner party, who were proportionally enlivened.

"Is this orthodox, Mr Ferguson?" inquired the colonel, holding up his gla.s.s.

"So far orthodox, that it is very good; and what is orthodox is good,"

replied the divine, with good-humour.

"The Asia has made the signal for 'a strange sail--suspicious,'" said the second-mate to Captain Drawlock, putting his head into the cabin.

"Very well, Mr Jones, keep a gla.s.s upon the commodore."

"Mrs Ferguson, will you take some of this tart? Damascene, I believe,"

said the first-mate.

"If you please, Mr Mathews.--Did not Mr Jones say suspicious?--What does that imply?"

"Imply, madam; why that he don't like the cut of her jib!"

"And pray what does that mean?"

"Mean, madam; why, that for all he knows to the contrary, she may be a French frigate."

"A French frigate! a French frigate! O dear! O dear!" cried two or three ladies at a breath.

"Mr Mathews," said Captain Drawlock, "I am really surprised at your indiscretion. You have alarmed the ladies. A suspicious sail, Mrs Ferguson, merely implies--in fact, that they do not know what she is."

"Is that _all_ it means?" replied Mrs Ferguson, with an incredulous look.

"Nothing more, madam; nothing more, I a.s.sure you."

"Commodore has made a signal that strange vessel is a man-of-war bearing down," said the second-mate, again entering the cabin.

"Very well, Mr Jones," said Captain Drawlock, with a.s.sumed indifference, but at the same time fidgeting on his chair.

The first-mate and Newton immediately quitted the cabin.

"Miss Tavistock, will you take a little of this pudding?"

"If you please, sir, a very little."

"A man-of-war! I'll go and have a look at her," said the colonel; who rose up, bowed to the ladies, and left the cuddy.

"Most probably one of our cruisers," observed Captain Drawlock.

"The commodore has made the signal to prepare for action, sir," said the second-mate.

"Very well, Mr Jones," said Captain Drawlock, who could now restrain himself no longer. "You must excuse me, ladies, for a moment or two, but our commodore is so _very_ prudent a man, and I am under his orders.

In a short time I hope to return to the pleasure of your society."

Captain Drawlock's departure was followed by that of all the male party, with the exception of Doctor Plausible and Mr Ferguson, both of whom however were anxious to go upon deck, and ascertain how matters stood.

"Mr Ferguson, where are you going?" said his wife, sharply. "Pray, sir, do us the favour to remain. Your profession, if I mistake not, is one of peace."

"Oh! Doctor Plausible, I feel very unwell," cried Miss Tavistock.

"I will stay with you, my dear madam," replied the doctor.

A gun from the commodore's s.h.i.+p, which was close to windward of them, burst upon their ears, rattling the cabin windows, and making every wine-gla.s.s on the table to dance with the concussion.

"Oh! oh! oh!" screamed Miss Tavistock, throwing herself back in her chair, and expanding her arms and fingers.

Doctor Plausible flew to the lady's a.s.sistance.

"The extreme fineness of her organic structure--a little water, if you please, Miss Charlotte Revel."

A tumbler of water was poured out, and Doctor Plausible, dipping the tip of his fore-finger into it, pa.s.sed it lightly over the lady's brows.

"She will be better directly."

But the lady did not think proper to _come to_ so soon as the doctor prophesied, and Mrs Ferguson, s.n.a.t.c.hing up the tumbler, dashed the contents with violence in Miss Tavistock's face; at which Miss Tavistock not only revived, but jumped up from her chair, blowing and spluttering.

"Are you better now, Miss Tavistock?" said Mrs Ferguson, soothingly, at the same time glancing her eyes at the other ladies, who could not restrain their mirth.

"Oh! Doctor Plausible, that shock has so affected my nerves, I feel that I shall faint again, I do indeed--I'm going--"

"Lean upon me, Miss Tavistock, and permit me to conduct you to your cabin," replied the doctor; "the extreme delicacy of your const.i.tution,"

continued he whispering as they left the cuddy, "is not equal to the boisterous remedies of Mrs Ferguson."