The mate was leaning against the side of the schooner, idly watching afew red-coated linesmen lounging on the Tower Quay. Careful marinerswere getting out their side-lights, and careless lightermen wereprogressing by easy bumps from craft to craft on their way up the river.A tug, half burying itself in its own swell, rushed panting by, and afaint scream came from aboard an approaching skiff as it tossed in thewash.
"JESSICA ahoy!" bawled a voice from the skiff as she came rapidlyalongside.
The mate, roused from his reverie, mechanically caught the line and madeit fast, moving with alacrity as he saw that the captain's daughter wasone of the occupants. Before he had got over his surprise she was ondeck with her boxes, and the captain was paying off the watermen.
"You've seen my daughter Hetty afore, haven't you?" said the skipper."She's coming with us this trip. You'd better go down and make up herbed, Jack, in that spare bunk."
"Ay, ay," said the mate dutifully, moving off.
"Thank you, I'll do it myself," said the scandalised Hetty, steppingforward hastily.
"As you please," said the skipper, leading the way below. "Let's have alight on, Jack."
The mate struck a match on his boot, and lit the lamp.
"There's a few things in there'll want moving," said the skipper, as heopened the door. "I don't know where we're to keep the onions now,Jack."
"We'll find a place for 'em," said the mate confidently, as he drew outa sack and placed it on the table.
"I'm not going to sleep in there," said the visitor decidedly, as shepeered in. "Ugh! there's a beetle. Ugh!"
"It's quite dead," said the mate reassuringly. "I've never seen a livebeetle on this ship."
"I want to go home," said the girl. "You've no business to make me comewhen I don't want to."
"You should behave yourself then," said her father magisterially. "Whatabout sheets, Jack; and pillers?"
The mate sat on the table, and, grasping his chin, pondered. Then as hisgaze fell upon the pretty, indignant face of the passenger, he lost thethread of his ideas.
"She'll have to have some o' my things for the present," said theskipper.
"Why not," said the mate, looking up again--"why not let her have yourstate-room?"
"'Cos I want it myself," replied the other calmly.
The mate blushed for him, and, the girl leaving them to arrange mattersas they pleased, the two men, by borrowing here and contriving there,made up the bunk. The girl was standing by the galley when they went ondeck again, an object of curious and respectful admiration to the crew,who had come on board in the meantime. She stayed on deck until the airbegan to blow fresher in the wider reaches, and then, with a briefgood-night to her father, retired below.
"She made up her mind to come with us rather suddenly, didn't she?"inquired the mate after she had gone.
"She didn't make up her mind at all," said the skipper; "we did it forher, me an' the missus. It's a plan on our part."
"Wants strengthening?" said the mate suggestively.
"Well, the fact is," said the skipper, "it's like this, Jack; there's afriend o' mine, a provision dealer in a large way o' business, wants tomarry my girl, and me an' the missus want him to marry her, so, o'course, she wants to marry someone else. Me an' 'er mother we put our'eads together and decided for her to come away. When she's at 'ome,instead o' being out with Towson, direckly her mother's back's turnedshe's out with that young sprig of a clerk."
"Nice-looking young feller, I s'pose?" said the mate somewhat anxiously.
"Not a bit of it," said the other firmly. "Looks as though he had neverhad a good meal in his life. Now my friend Towson, he's all right; he'sa man of about my own figger."
"She'll marry the clerk," said the mate, with conviction.
"I'll bet you she don't," said the skipper. "I'm an artful man, Jack,an' I, generally speaking, get my own way. I couldn't live with mymissus peaceable if it wasn't for management."
The mate smiled safely in the darkness, the skipper's managementconsisting chiefly of slavish obedience.
"I've got a cabinet fortygraph of him for the cabin mantel-piece, Jack,"continued the wily father. "He gave it to me o' purpose. She'll see thatwhen she won't see the clerk, an' by-and-bye she'll fall into our way ofthinking. Anyway, she's going to stay here till she does."
"You know your way about, cap'n," said the mate, in pretendedadmiration.
The skipper laid his finger on his nose, and winked at the mainmast."There's few can show me the way, Jack," he answered softly; "very few.Now I want you to help me too; I want you to talk to her a great deal."
"Ay, ay," said the mate, winking at the mast in his turn.
"Admire the fortygraph on the mantel-piece," said the skipper.
"I will," said the other.
"Tell her about a lot o' young girls you know as married youngmiddle-aged men, an' loved 'em more an' more every day of their lives,"continued the skipper.
"Not another word," said the mate. "I know just what you want. Sheshan't marry the clerk if I can help it."
The other turned and gripped him warmly by the hand. "If ever you are afather your elf, Jack," he said with emotion, "I hope as how somebody'llstand by you as you're standing by me."
The mate was relieved the next day when he saw the portrait of Towson.He stroked his moustache, and felt that he gained in good looks everytime he glanced at it.
Breakfast finished, the skipper, who had been on deck all night, retiredto his bunk. The mate went on deck and took charge, watching with greatinterest the movements of the passenger as she peered into the galleyand hotly assailed the cook's method of washing up.
"Don't you like the sea?" he inquired politely, as she came and sat onthe cabin skylight.
Miss Alsen shook her head dismally. "I've got to it," she remarked.
"Your father was saying something to me about it," said the mateguardedly.
"Did he tell the cook and the cabin boy too?" inquired Miss Alsen,flushing somewhat. "What did he tell you?"
"Told me about a man named Towson," said the mate, becoming intent onthe sails, "and--another fellow."
"I took a little notice of HIM just to spoil the other," said the girl,"not that I cared for him. I can't understand a girl caring for any man.Great, clumsy, ugly things."
"You don't like him then?" said the mate.
"Of course not," said the girl, tossing her head.
"And yet they 've sent you to sea to get out of his way," said the matemeditatively. "Well, the best thing you can do"--His hardihood failedhim at the pitch.
"Go on," said the girl.
"Well, it's this way," said the mate, coughing; "they've sent you to seato get you out of this fellow's way, so if you fall in love withsomebody on the ship they'll send you home again."
"So they will," said the girl eagerly. "I'll pretend to fall in lovewith that nice-looking sailor you call Harry. What a lark!"
"I shouldn't do that," said the mate gravely.
"Why not?" said the girl.
"'Tisn't discipline," said the mate very firmly; "it wouldn't do at all.He's before the mast."
"Oh, I see," remarked Miss Alsen, smiling scornfully.
"I only mean pretend, of course," said the mate, colouring. "Just tooblige you."
"Of course," said the girl calmly. "Well, how are we to be in love?"
The mate flushed darkly. "I don't know much about such things," he saidat length; "but we'll have to look at each other, and all that sort ofthing, you know."
"I don't mind that," said the girl.
"Then we'll get on by degrees," said the other. "I expect we shall bothfind it come easier after a time."
"Anything to get home again," said the girl, rising and walking slowlyaway.
The mate began his part of the love-making at once, and, fixing a gazeof concentrated love on the object of his regard, nearly ran down asmack. As he had prognosticated, it came easy to him, and otherwell-marked symptoms, such as loss of appetite and a partialit
y forbright colours, developed during the day. Between breakfast and tea hewashed five times, and raised the ire of the skipper to a dangerouspitch by using the ship's butter to remove tar from his fingers.
By ten o'clock that night he was far advanced in a profound melancholy.All the looking had been on his side, and, as he stood at the wheelkeeping the schooner to her course, he felt a fellow-feeling for thehapless Towson, His meditations were interrupted by a slight figurewhich emerged from the companion, and, after a moment's hesitation, cameand took its old seat on the skylight.
"Calm and peaceful up here, isn't it?" said he, after waiting some timefor her to speak. "Stars are very bright to-night."
"Don't talk to me," said Miss Alsen snappishly.
"Why doesn't this nasty little ship keep still? I believe it's youmaking her jump about like this."
"Me?" said the mate in amazement.
"Yes, with that wheel."
"I can assure you "--began the mate.
"Yes, I knew you'd say so," said the girl.
"Come and steer yourself," said the mate; "then you'll see."
Much to his surprise she came, and, leaning limply against the wheel,put her little hands on the spokes, while the mate explained themysteries of the compass. As he warmed with his subject he ventured toput his hands on the same spokes, and, gradually becoming moreventuresome, boldly supported her with his arm every time the schoonergave a lurch.
"Thank you," said Miss Alsen, coldly extricating herself, as the malefancied another lurch was coming. "Good-night."
She retired to the cabin as a dark figure, which was manfully knucklingthe last remnant of sleep from its eyelids, stood before the mate,chuckling softly.
"Clear night," said the seaman, as he took the wheel in his great paws.
"Beastly," said the mate absently, and, stifling a sigh, went below andturned in.
He lay awake for a few minutes, and then, well satisfied with the day'sproceedings, turned over and fell asleep. He was pleased to discover,when he awoke, that the slight roll of the night before had disappeared,and that there was hardly any motion on the schooner. The passengerherself was already at the breakfast-table.
"Cap'n's on deck, I s'pose?" said the mate, preparing to resumenegotiations where they were broken off the night before. "I hope youfeel better than you did last night."
"Yes, thank you," said she.
"You'll make a good sailor in time," said the mate.
"I hope not," said Miss Alsen, who thought it time to quell a gleam ofpeculiar tenderness plainly apparent in the mate's eyes. "I shouldn'tlike to be a sailor even if I were a man."
"Why not?" inquired the other.
"I don't know," said the girl meditatively; "but sailors are generallysuch scrubby little men, aren't they?"
"SCUBBY?" repeated the mate, in a dazed voice.
"I'd sooner be a soldier," she continued; "I like soldiers--they're somanly. I wish there was one here now."
"What for?" inquired the mate, in the manner of a sulky schoolboy.
"If there was a man like that here now," said Miss Alsen thoughtfully,"I'd dare him to mustard old Towson's nose."
"Do what?" inquired the astonished mate.
"Mustard old Towson's nose," said Miss Alsen, glancing lightly from thecruet-stand to the portrait.
The infatuated man hesitated a moment, and then, reaching over to thecruet, took out the spoon, and with a pale, determined face, indignantlydaubed the classic features of the provision dealer. His indignation wasnot lessened by the behaviour of the temptress, who, instead of fawningupon him for his bravery, crammed her handkerchief to her mouth andgiggled foolishly.
"Where's father," she said suddenly, as a step sounded above. "Oh, youwill get it!"
She rose from her seat, and, standing aside to let her father pass, wenton deck. The skipper sank on to a locker, and, raising the tea-pot,poured himself out a cup of tea, which he afterwards decanted into asaucer. He had just raised it to his lips, when he saw something overthe rim of it which made him put it down again untasted, and stareblankly at the mantel-piece.
"Who the--what the--who the devil's done this?" he inquired in astrangulated voice, as he rose and regarded the portrait.
"I did," said the mate.
"You did?" roared the other. "You? What for?"
"I don't know," said the mate awkwardly. "Something seemed to come overme all of a sudden, and I felt as though I MUST do it."
"But what for? Where's the sense of it?" said the skipper.
The mate shook his head sheepishly.
"But what did you want to do such a monkey-trick FOR?" roared theskipper.
"I don't know," said the mate doggedly; "but it's done, ain't it? andit's no good talking about it."
The skipper looked at him in wrathful perplexity. "You'd better haveadvice when we get to port, Jack," he said at length; "the last fewweeks I've noticed you've been a bit strange in your manner. You go an'show that 'ed of yours to a doctor."
The mate grunted, and went on deck for sympathy, but, finding Miss Alsenin a mood far removed from sentiment, and not at all grateful, drew offwhistling. Matters were in this state when the skipper appeared, wipinghis mouth.
"I've put another portrait on the mantel-piece, Jack," he saidmenacingly; "it's the only other one I've got, an' I wish you tounderstand that if that only smells mustard, there'll be such a row inthis 'ere ship that you won't be able to 'ear yourself speak for thenoise."
He moved off with dignity as his daughter, who had overheard the remark,came sidling up to the mate and smiled on him agreeably.
"He's put another portrait there," she said softly.
"You'll find the mustard-pot in the cruet," said the mate coldly.
Miss Alsen turned and watched her father as he went forward, and then,to the mate's surprise, went below without another word. A prey tocuriosity, but too proud to make any overture, he compromised matters bygoing and standing near the companion.
"Mate!" said a stealthy whisper at the foot of the ladder.
The mate gazed calmly out to sea.
"Jack!" said the girl again, in a lower whisper than before.
The mate went hot all over, and at once descended. He found Miss Alsen,her eyes sparkling, with the mustard-pot in her left hand and the spoonin her right, executing a war-dance in front of the second portrait.
"Don't do it," said the mate, in alarm.
"Why not?" she inquired, going within an inch of it.
"He'll think it's me," said the mate.
"That's why I called you down here," said she; "you don't think I wantedyou, do you?"
"You put that spoon down," said the mate, who was by no means desirousof another interview with the skipper.
"Shan't!" said Miss Alsen.
The mate sprang at her, but she dodged round the table. He leaned over,and, catching her by the left arm, drew her towards him; then, with herflushed, laughing face close to his, he forgot everything else, andkissed her.
"Oh!" said Hetty indignantly.
"Will you give it to me now?" said the mate, trembling at his boldness.
"Take it," said she. She leaned across the table, and, as the mateadvanced, dabbed viciously at him with the spoon. Then she suddenlydropped both articles on the table and moved away, as the mate, startledby a footstep at the door, turned a flushed visage, ornamented withthree streaks of mustard, on to the dumbfounded skipper.
"Sakes alive!" said that astonished mariner, as soon as he could speak;"if he ain't a-mustarding his own face now--I never 'card of such athing in all my life. Don't go near 'im, Hetty. Jack!"
"Well," said the mate, wiping his smarting face with his handkerchief.
"You've never been took like this before?" queried the skipperanxiously.
"O'course not," said the mortified mate.
"Don't you say o'course not to me," said the other warmly, "afterbehaving like this. A straight weskit's what you want. I'll go an' seeold Ben about it. He's got an uncle in a 's
ylum. You come up too, mygirl."
He went in search of Ben, oblivious of the fact that his daughter,instead of following him, came no farther than the door, where she stoodand regarded her victim compassionately.
"I'm so sorry," she said "Does it smart?"
"A little," said the mate; "don't you trouble about me."
"You see what you get for behaving badly," said Miss Alsen judicially.
"It's worth it," said the mate, brightening.
"I'm afraid it'll blister," said she. She crossed over to him, andputting her head on one side, eyed the traces wisely. "Three marks," shesaid.
"I only had one," suggested the mate.
"One what?" enquired Hetty.
"Those," said the mate.
In full view of the horrified skipper, who was cautiously peeping at thesupposed lunatic through the skylight, he kissed her again.
"You can go away, Ben," said the skipper huskily to the expert. "D'yehear, you can go AWAY, and not a word about this, mind."
The expert went away grumbling, and the father, after another glance,which showed him his daughter nestling comfortably on the mate's rightshoulder, stole away and brooded darkly over this crowning complication.An ordinary man would have run down and interrupted them; the master ofthe Jessica thought he could attain his ends more certainly bydiplomacy, and so careful was his demeanour that the couple in the cabinhad no idea that they had been observed--the mate listening calmly to alecture on incipient idiocy which the skipper thought it advisable tobestow.
Until the mid-day meal on the day following he made no sign. If anythinghe was even more affable than usual, though his wrath rose at theglances which were being exchanged across the table.
"By the way, Jack," he said at length, "what's become of Kitty Loney?"
"Who?" inquired the mate. "Who's Kitty Loney?"
It was now the skipper's turn to stare, and he did it admirably.
"Kitty Loney," he said in surprise, "the little girl you are going tomarry."
"Who are you getting at?" said the mate, going scarlet as he met thegaze opposite.
"I don't know what you mean," said the skipper with dignity. "I'mallooding to Kitty Loney, the little girl in the red hat and whitefeathers you introduced to me as your future."
The mate sank back in his seat, and regarded him with open-mouthed,horrified astonishment.
"You don't mean to say you've chucked 'er," pursued the heartlessskipper, "after getting an advance from me to buy the ring with, too?Didn't you buy the ring with the money?"
"No," said the mate, "I--oh, no--of course--what on earth are youtalking about?"
The skipper rose from his seat and regarded him sorrowfully butseverely. "I'm sorry, Jack," he said stiffly, "if I've said anything toannoy you, or anyway hurt your feelings. O' course it's your business,not mine. P'raps you'll say you never heard o' Kitty Loney?"
"I do say so," said the bewildered mate; "I do say so."
The skipper eyed him sternly, and without another word left the cabin."If she's like her mother," he said to himself, chuckling as he went upthe companion-ladder, "I think that'll do."
There was an awkward pause after his departure. "I'm sure I don't knowwhat you must think of me," said the mate at length, "but I don't knowwhat your father's talking about."
"I don't think anything," said Hetty calmly. "Pass the potatoes,please."
"I suppose it's a joke of his," said the mate, complying.
"And the salt," said she; "thank you."
"But you don't believe it?" said the mate pathetically.
"Oh, don't be silly," said the girl calmly. "What does it matter whetherI do or not?"
"It matters a great deal," said the mate gloomily. "It's life or deathto me."
"Oh, nonsense," said Hetty. "She won't know of your foolishness. I won'ttell her."
"I tell you," said the mate desperately, "there never was a Kitty Loney.What do you think of that?"
"I think you are very mean," said the girl scornfully; "don't talk to meany more, please."
"Just as you like," said the mate, beginning to lose his temper.
He pushed his plate from him and departed, while the girl, angry andresentful, put the potatoes back as being too floury for consumption inthe circumstances.
For the remainder of the passage she treated him with a politeness andgood humour through which he strove in vain to break. To her surpriseher father made no objection, at the end of the voyage, when shecoaxingly suggested going back by train; and the mate, as they sat atdummy-whist on the evening before her departure, tried in vain todiscuss the journey in an unconcerned fashion.
"It'll be a long journey," said Hetty, who still liked him well enoughto make him smart a bit, "What's trumps?"
"You'll be all right," said her father. "Spades."
He won for the third time that evening, and, feeling wonderfully wellsatisfied with the way in which he had played his cards generally, couldnot resist another gibe at the crestfallen mate.
"You'll have to give up playing cards and all that sort o' thing whenyou're married, Jack," said he.
"Ay, ay," said the mate recklessly, "Kitty don't like cards."
"I thought there was no Kitty," said the girl, looking up, scornfully.
"She don't like cards," repeated the mate. "Lord, what a spree we had.Cap'n, when we went to the Crystal Palace with her that night."
"Ay, that we did," said the skipper.
"Remember the roundabouts?" said the mate.
"I do," said the skipper merrily. "I'll never forget 'em."
"You and that friend of hers, Bessie Watson, lord how you did go on!"continued the mate, in a sort of ecstasy. The skipper stiffened suddenlyin his chair. "What on earth are you talking about?" he inquiredgruffly.
"Bessie Watson," said the mate, in tones of innocent surprise. "Littlegirl in a blue hat with white feathers, and a blue frock, that came withus."
"You're drunk," said the skipper, grinding his teeth, as he saw the trapinto which he had walked.
"Don't you remember when you two got lost, an' me and Kitty were lookingall over the place for you?" demanded the mate, still in the same tonesof pleasant reminiscence.
He caught Hetty's eye, and noticed with a thrill that it beamed withsoft and respectful admiration.
"You've been drinking," repeated the skipper, breathing hard. "How dareyou talk like that afore my daughter?"
"It's only right I should know," said Hetty, drawing herself up. "Iwonder what mother'll say to it all?"
"You say anything to your mother if you dare," said the now maddenedskipper. "You know what she is. It's all the mate's nonsense."
"I'm very sorry, cap'n," said the mate, "if I've said anything to annoyyou, or anyway hurt your feelings. O' course it's your business, notmine. Perhaps you'll say you never heard o' Bessie Watson?"
"Mother shall hear of her," said Hetty, while her helpless sire wasstruggling for breath.
"Perhaps you'll tell us who this Bessie Watson is, and where she lives?"he said at length.
"She lives with Kitty Loney," said the mate simply.
The skipper rose, and his demeanour was so alarming that Hetty shrankinstinctively to the mate for protection. In full view of his captain,the mate placed his arm about her waist, and in this position theyconfronted each other for some time in silence. Then Hetty looked up andspoke.
"I'm going home by water," she said briefly.
THE CAPTAIN'S EXPLOIT