The Great Shadow and Other Napoleonic Tales Page 4

  CHAPTER V.

  THE MAN FROM THE SEA.

  Well, I was never one to sit groaning over a cracked pot. If it couldnot be mended, then it is the part of a man to say no more of it.For weeks I had an aching heart; indeed, it is a little sore now, afterall these years and a happy marriage, when I think of it. But I kept abrave face on me; and, above all, I did as I had promised that day onthe hillside. I was as a brother to her, and no more: though there weretimes when I had to put a hard curb upon myself; for even now she wouldcome to me with her coaxing ways, and with tales about how rough Jimwas, and how happy she had been when I was kind to her; for it was inher blood to speak like that, and she could not help it.

  But for the most part Jim and she were happy enough. It was all overthe countryside that they were to be married when he had passed hisdegree, and he would come up to West Inch four nights a week to sit withus. My folk were pleased about it, and I tried to be pleased too.

  Maybe at first there was a little coolness between him and me: there wasnot quite the old schoolboy trust between us. But then, when the firstsmart was passed, it seemed to me that he had acted openly, and that Ihad no just cause for complaint against him. So we were friendly, in away; and as for her, he had forgotten all his anger, and would havekissed the print of her shoe in the mud. We used to take long ramblestogether, he and I; and it is about one of these that I now want to tellyou.

  We had passed over Bramston Heath and round the clump of firs whichscreens the house of Major Elliott from the sea wind. It was springnow, and the year was a forward one, so that the trees were well leavedby the end of April. It was as warm as a summer day, and we were themore surprised when we saw a huge fire roaring upon the grass-plotbefore the Major's door. There was half a fir-tree in it, and theflames were spouting up as high as the bedroom windows. Jim and I stoodstaring, but we stared the more when out came the Major, with a greatquart pot in his hand, and at his heels his old sister who kept housefor him, and two of the maids, and all four began capering about roundthe fire. He was a douce, quiet man, as all the country knew, and herehe was like old Nick at the carlin's dance, hobbling around and wavinghis drink above his head. We both set off running, and he waved themore when he saw us coming.

  "Peace!" he roared. "Huzza, boys! Peace!"

  And at that we both fell to dancing and shouting too; for it had beensuch a weary war as far back as we could remember, and the shadow hadlain so long over us, that it was wondrous to feel that it was lifted.Indeed it was too much to believe, but the Major laughed our doubts toscorn.

  "Aye, aye, it is true," he cried, stopping with his hand to his side."The Allies have got Paris, Boney has thrown up the sponge, and hispeople are all swearing allegiance to Louis XVIII."

  "And the Emperor?" I asked. "Will they spare him?"

  "There's talk of sending him to Elba, where he'll be out of mischief'sway. But his officers, there are some of them who will not get off solightly. Deeds have been done during these last twenty years that havenot been forgotten. There are a few old scores to be settled. But it'sPeace! Peace!"

  And away he went once more with his great tankard hopping round hisbonfire.

  Well, we stayed some time with the Major, and then away we went down tothe beach, Jim and I, talking about this great news, and all that wouldcome of it. He knew a little, and I knew less, but we pieced it alltogether and talked about how the prices would come down, how ourbrave fellows would return home, how the ships could go where they wouldin peace, and how we could pull all the coast beacons down, for therewas no enemy now to fear. So we chatted as we walked along the clean,hard sand, and looked out at the old North Sea. How little did Jim knowat that moment, as he strode along by my side so full of health and ofspirits, that he had reached the extreme summit of his life, and thatfrom that hour all would, in truth, be upon the downward slope!

  There was a little haze out to sea; for it had been very misty in theearly morning, though the sun had thinned it. As we looked seawards wesuddenly saw the sail of a small boat break out through the fog, andcome bobbing along towards the land. A single man was seated in thesheets, and she yawed about as she ran, as though he were of two mindswhether to beach her or no. At last, determined it may be by ourpresence, he made straight for us, and her keel grated upon the shingleat our very feet. He dropped his sail, sprang out, and pulled her bowsup on the beach.

  "Great Britain, I believe?" said he, turning briskly round and facingus.

  He was a man somewhat above middle height, but exceedingly thin.His eyes were piercing and set close together, a long sharp nose juttedout from between them, and beneath them was a bristle of brown moustacheas wiry and stiff as a cat's whiskers. He was well dressed in a suit ofbrown with brass buttons, and he wore high boots which were allroughened and dulled by the sea water. His face and hands were so darkthat he might have been a Spaniard, but as he raised his hat to us wesaw that the upper part of his brow was quite white and that it was fromwithout that he had his swarthiness. He looked from one to the other ofus, and his grey eyes had something in them which I had never seenbefore. You could read the question; but there seemed to be a menace atthe back of it, as if the answer were a right and not a favour.

  "Great Britain?" he asked again, with a quick tap of his foot on theshingle.

  "Yes," said I, while Jim burst out laughing.

  "England? Scotland?"

  "Scotland. But it's England past yonder trees."

  "_Bon!_ I know where I am now. I've been in a fog without a compass fornearly three days, and I didn't thought I was ever to see land again."

  He spoke English glibly enough, but with some strange turn of speechfrom time to time.

  "Where did you come from then?" asked Jim.

  "I was in a ship that was wrecked," said he shortly. "What is the towndown yonder?"

  "It is Berwick."

  "Ah! well, I must get stronger before I can go further."

  He turned towards the boat, and as he did so he gave a lurch, and wouldhave fallen had he not caught the prow. On this he seated himself andlooked round with a face that was flushed, and two eyes that blazed likea wild beast's.

  "_Voltigeurs de la Garde_," he roared in a voice like a trumpet call,and then again "_Voltigeurs de la Garde!_"

  He waved his hat above is head, and suddenly pitching forwards upon hisface on the sand, he lay all huddled into a little brown heap.

  Jim Horscroft and I stood and stared at each other. The coming of theman had been so strange, and his questions, and now this sudden turn.We took him by a shoulder each and turned him upon his back. There helay with his jutting nose and his cat's whiskers, but his lips werebloodless, and his breath would scarce shake a feather.

  "He's dying, Jim!" I cried.

  "Aye, for want of food and water. There's not a drop or crumb in theboat. Maybe there's something in the bag."

  He sprang and brought out a black leather bag, which with a large bluecoat was the only thing in the boat. It was locked, but Jim had it openin an instant. It was half full of gold pieces.

  Neither of us had ever seen so much before--no, nor a tenth part of it.There must have been hundreds of them, all bright new Britishsovereigns. Indeed, so taken up were we that we had forgotten all abouttheir owner until a groan took our thoughts back to him. His lips werebluer than ever, and his jaw had dropped. I can see his open mouth now,with its row of white wolfish teeth.

  "My God, he's off!" cried Jim. "Here, run to the burn. Jock, for ahatful of water. Quick, man, or he's gone! I'll loosen his things thewhile." Away I tore, and was back in a minute with as much water aswould Stay in my Glengarry. Jim had pulled open the man's coat andshirt, and we doused the water over him, and forced some between hislips. It had a good effect; for after a gasp or two he sat up andrubbed his eyes slowly, like a man who is waking from a deep sleep.But neither Jim nor I were looking at his face now, for our eyes werefixed upon his uncovered chest.

  The
re were two deep red puckers in it, one just below the collar bone,and the other about half-way down on the right side. The skin of hisbody was extremely white up to the brown line of his neck, and the angrycrinkled spots looked the more vivid against it. From above I could seethat there was a corresponding pucker in the back at one place, but notat the other. Inexperienced as I was, I could tell what that meant.Two bullets had pierced his chest; one had passed through it, and theother had remained inside.

  But suddenly he staggered up to his feet, and pulled his shirt to, witha quick suspicious glance at us.

  "What have I been doing?" he asked. "I've been off my head. Take nonotice of anything I may have said. Have I been shouting?"

  "You shouted just before you fell."

  "What did I shout?"

  I told him, though it bore little meaning to my mind. He lookedsharply at us, and then he shrugged his shoulders.

  "It's the words of a song," said he. "Well, the question is, What am Ito do now? I didn't thought I was so weak. Where did you get thewater?"

  I pointed towards the burn, and he staggered off to the bank. There helay down upon his face, and he drank until I thought he would never havedone. His long skinny neck was outstretched like a horse's, and he madea loud supping noise with his lips. At last he got up with a long sigh,and wiped his moustache with his sleeve.

  "That's better," said he. "Have you any food?"

  I had crammed two bits of oat-cake into my pocket when I left home, andthese he crushed into his mouth and swallowed. Then he squared hisshoulders, puffed out his chest, and patted his ribs with the flat ofhis hands.

  "I am sure that I owe you exceedingly well," said he. "You have beenvery kind to a stranger. But I see that you have had occasion to openmy bag."

  "We hoped that we might find wine or brandy there when you fainted."

  "Ah! I have nothing there but just a little--how do you say it?--mysavings. They are not much, but I must live quietly upon them until Ifind something to do. Now one could live quietly here, I should say.I could not have come upon a more peaceful place, without perhaps somuch as a _gendarme_ nearer than that town."

  "You haven't told us yet who you are, where you come from, nor what youhave been," said Jim bluntly.

  The stranger looked him up and down with a critical eye:

  "My word, but you would make a grenadier for a flank company," said he."As to what you ask, I might take offence at it from other lips; but youhave a right to know, since you have received me with so great courtesy.My name is Bonaventure de Lapp. I am a soldier and a wanderer by trade,and I have come from Dunkirk, as you may see printed upon the boat."

  "I thought that you had been shipwrecked!" said I.

  But he looked at me with the straight gaze of an honest man.

  "That is right," said he, "but the ship went from Dunkirk, and this isone of her boats. The crew got away in the long boat, and she went downso quickly that I had no time to put anything into her. That was onMonday."

  "And to-day's Thursday. You have been three days without bite or sup."

  "It is too long," said he. "Twice before I have been for two days, butnever quite so long as this. Well, I shall leave my boat here, and seewhether I can get lodgings in any of these little grey houses upon thehillsides. Why is that great fire burning over yonder?"

  "It is one of our neighbours who has served against the French. He isrejoicing because peace has been declared."

  "Oh, you have a neighbour who has served then! I am glad; for I, too,have seen a little soldiering here and there."

  He did not look glad, but he drew his brows down over his keen eyes.

  "You are French, are you not?" I asked, as we all walked up the hilltogether, he with his black bag in his hand and his long blue cloakslung over his shoulder.

  "Well, I am of Alsace," said he; "and, you know, they are moreGerman than French. For myself, I have been in so many lands that Ifeel at home in all. I have been a great traveller; and where do youthink that I might find a lodging?"

  I can scarcely tell now, on looking back with the great gap offive-and-thirty years between, what impression this singular man hadmade upon me. I distrusted him, I think, and yet I was fascinated byhim also; for there was something in his bearing, in his look, and hiswhole fashion of speech which was entirely unlike anything that I hadever seen. Jim Horscroft was a fine man, and Major Elliott was a braveone, but they both lacked something that this wanderer had. It was thequick alert look, the flash of the eye, the nameless distinction whichis so hard to fix. And then we had saved him when he lay gasping uponthe shingle, and one's heart always softens towards what one has oncehelped.

  "If you will come with me," said I, "I have little doubt that I can findyou a bed for a night or two, and by that time you will be better ableto make your own arrangements."

  He pulled off his hat, and bowed with all the grace imaginable.But Jim Horscroft pulled me by the sleeve, and led me aside.

  "You're mad, Jock," he whispered. "The fellow's a common adventurer.What do you want to get mixed up with him for?"

  But I was as obstinate a man as ever laced his boots, and if you jerkedme back it was the finest way of sending me to the front.

  "He's a stranger, and it's our part to look after him," said I.

  "You'll be sorry for it," Said he.

  "Maybe so."

  "If you don't think of yourself, you might think of your cousin."

  "Edie can take very good care of herself."

  "Well, then, the devil take you, and you may do what you like!" hecried, in one of his sudden flushes of anger. Without a word offarewell to either of us, he turned off upon the track that led uptowards his father's house. Bonaventure de Lapp smiled at me as wewalked on together.

  "I didn't thought he liked me very much," said he. "I can see very wellthat he has made a quarrel with you because you are taking me to yourhome. What does he think of me then? Does he think perhaps that I havestole the gold in my bag, or what is it that he fears?"

  "Tut, I neither know nor care," said I. "No stranger shall pass ourdoor without a crust and a bed."

  With my head cocked and feeling as if I was doing something very fine,instead of being the most egregious fool south of Edinburgh, I marchedon down the path with my new acquaintance at my elbow.