Dutton was a little embarrassed, for St. James had left any thing but a godly savour behind him; and he was about to fabricate a tolerably bold assertion to the contrary, rather than incur the risk of offending the lord of the manor, when, luckily, a change in the state of the fog afforded him a favourable opportunity of bringing about an apposite change in the subject. During the whole of the morning the sea had been invisible from the head-land, a dense body of vapour resting on it, far as eye could reach; veiling the whole expanse with a single white cloud. The lighter portions of the vapour had at first floated around the head-land, which could not have been seen at any material distance; but all had been gradually settling down into a single mass, that now rose within twenty feet of the summit of the cliffs. The hour was still quite early, but the sun was gaining force, and it speedily drank up all the lighter particles of the mist, leaving a clear, bright atmosphere above the feathery bank, through which objects might be seen for miles. There was what seamen call a fanning breeze, or just wind enough to cause the light sails of a ship to swell and collapse, under the double influence of the air and the motion of the hull, imitating in a slight degree the vibrations of that familiar appliance of the female toilet. Duttons eye had caught a glance of the loftiest sail of a vessel, above the fog, going through this very movement; and it afforded him the release he desired, by enabling him to draw the attention of his companions to the same object.
See, Sir Wycherly see, Mr. Wychecombe, he cried, eagerly, pointing in the direction of the sail; yonder is some of the kings canvass coming into our roadstead, or I am no judge of the set of a man-of-wars royal. It is a large bit of cloth, too, Mr. Lieutenant, for a sail so lofty!
It is a two-deckers royal, Master Dutton, returned the young sailor; and now you see the fore and main, separately, as the ship keeps away.
Well, put in Sir Wycherly, in a resigned manner; here have I lived fourscore years on this coast, and, for the life of me, I have never been able to tell a fore-royal from a back-royal; or a mizzen head-stay from a head mizzen-stay. They are the most puzzling things imaginable; and now I cannot discover how you know that yonder sail, which I see plain enough, is a royal, any more than that it is a jib!
Dutton and the lieutenant smiled, but Sir Wycherlys simplicity had a cast of truth and nature about it, that deterred most people from wishing to ridicule him. Then, the rank, fortune, and local interest of the baronet, counted for a good deal on all such occasions.
Here is another fellow, farther east, cried Dutton, still pointing with a finger; and every inch as big as his consort! Ah! it does my eyes good to see our roadstead come into notice, in this manner, after all I have said and done in its behalf But, who have we here a brother chip, by his appearance; I dare say some idler who has been sent ashore with despatches.
There is another fellow further east, and every inch as big as his consort, said Wychecombe, as we shall call our lieutenant, in order to distinguish him from Tom of the same name, repeating the very words of Dutton, with an application and readiness that almost amounted to wit, pointing, in his turn, at two strangers who were ascending to the station by a path that led from the beach. Certainly both these gentlemen are in His Majestys service, and they have probably just landed from the ships in the offing.
The truth of this conjecture was apparent to Dutton at a glance. As the strangers joined each other, the one last seen proceeded in advance; and there was something in his years, the confident manner in which he approached, and his general appearance, that induced both the sailors to believe he might be the commander of one of the ships that had just come in view.
Good-morrow, gentlemen, commenced this person, as soon as near enough to salute the party at the foot of the flagstaff; good-morrow to ye all. Im glad to meet you, for its but a Jacobs ladder, this path of yours, through the ravine in the cliffs. Hey! why Atwood, looking around him at the sea of vapour, in surprise, what the devil has become of the fleet?
It is lost in the fog, sir; we are above it, here; when more on a level with the ships, we could see, or fancy we saw, more of them than we do now.
Here are the upper sails of two heavy ships, sir, observed Wychecombe, pointing in the direction of the vessels already seen; ay, and yonder are two more nothing but the royals are visible.
Two more! I left eleven two-deckers, three frigates, a sloop, and a cutter in sight, when I got into the boat. You might have covered em all with a pocket-handkerchief, hey! Atwood!
They were certainly in close order, sir, but Ill not take it on myself to say quite as near together as that.
Ay, youre a dissenter by trade, and never will believe in a miracle. Sharp work, gentlemen, to get up such a hill as this, after fifty.
It is, indeed, sir, answered Sir Wycherly, kindly. Will you do us the favour to take a seat among us, and rest yourself after so violent an exertion? The cliff is hard enough to ascend, even when one keeps the path; though here is a young gentleman who had a fancy just now to go down it, without a path; and that, too, merely that a pretty girl might have a nosegay on her breakfast-table.
The stranger looked intently at Sir Wycherly for a moment, then glanced his eye at the groom and the pony, after which he took a survey of Tom Wychecombe, the lieutenant, and the master. He was a man accustomed to look about him, and he understood, by that rapid glance, the characters of all he surveyed, with perhaps the exception of that of Tom Wychecombe; and even of that he formed a tolerably shrewd conjecture. Sir Wycherly he immediately set down as the squire of the adjacent estate; Duttons situation he hit exactly, conceiving him to be a worn-out master, who was employed to keep the signal-station; while he understood Wychecombe, by his undress, and air, to be a sea-lieutenant in the kings service. Tom Wychecombe he thought it quite likely might be the son, and heir of the lord of the manor, both being in mourning; though he decided in his own mind that there was not the smallest family likeness between them. Bowing with the courtesy of a man who knew how to acknowledge a civility, he took the proffered seat at Sir Wycherlys side without farther ceremony.
We must carry the young fellow to sea with us, sir, rejoined the stranger, and that will cure him of looking for flowers in such ticklish places. His Majesty has need of us all, in this war; and I trust, young gentleman, you have not been long ashore, among the girls.
Only long enough to make a cure of a pretty smart hurt, received in cutting out a lugger from the opposite coast, answered Wychecombe, with sufficient modesty, and yet with sufficient spirit.
Lugger! ha! what Atwood? You surely do not mean, young gentleman, la Voltigeuse?
That was the name of the craft, sir we found her in the roads of Groix.
And then Ive the pleasure of seeing Mr. Wychecombe, the young officer who led in that gallant attack?
This was said with a most flattering warmth of manner, the stranger even rising and removing his hat, as he uttered the words with a heartiness that showed how much his feelings were in unison with what he said.
I am Mr. Wychecombe, sir, answered the other, blushing to the temples, and returning the salute; though I had not the honour of leading; one of the lieutenants of our ship being in another boat.