Tales and Sketches.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 24, 8 July 1871, Page 17

Tales and Sketches.

THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS. A Yachting Story. [From Ai/l the Year Eottnd.] CHAPTEE V. —A HOLIDAY. Monday morning. A bright, fresh day with a distant stiff breeze, which every now and again caused a dark purple frowD to pass over the sea very far away. The old sailors said this meant nothing, that ' afore noon,' it would be all right, with a ' good sailin' breeze.' The harbor seemed to have, half the air of a nautical flower show -so many sails were fluttering in a sort of negligee toilette. A few more of these elegant ladies had dropped in during the night, and for the first race it was known that at least ten would start. Of course the shabby, greedy Morna was among them. ' Scandalous,' many a mariner, his hands deep in his pockets' muttered. Little boats shot about the harbor zigzag, like gad flies, and the Royal St Arthur's and the Royal Burgee in full uniform, and stuck over with innumerable flags, affected a sort of harmony tor that day only. A gunboat from one of the great ports was hovering undecidedly outside the harbor; the lieutenant was being pulled ashore ; but even that ' rubbishing fellow' went straight for the stairs of the Royal St Arthur's. The terraces of both clubs were covered with gentlemen in short jackets and caps, and using glasses, with .quite a quarter deck air. The start was early : about nine o'clock. From the commodore's yacht came the gun, and the row of racers were ' round' in a second, and gliding away out of the harbor. The ! selfish cutter took her time, and rather ' lounged' out. She had on her racing suit, and when she got up her ' balloon' sails, seemed to swell like the snowy feathers of a huge swan. There was the local crack boat, known indifferently to the sailors as the Nigh-a-Bee, sometimes as the Knee Oby, but which, in Hunt's List, was the Niobe, 35; W. C. Jephson, owner. This gentleman could hardly contain his disgust as he looked at the intruder, who was aristocraticß.Y.S., while he was only R. St. A.Y.C. There she was a smart, coquettish, thoroughbred thing, shooting out of the harbor before all the rest; but, ' of course,' there was the huge hulking Morna rolling carelessly on behind, and getting another tremendous sail, though in the most leisurely mannei\ The rest went on their way in straggling order—here, there, and everywhere, leaning over, awry, stiffly upright, or flying along half arching over, like graceful skaters.' The course was one of many miles ; in a short time the graceful craft were afar off, no more than a few yellowish specks dotted about and the spectators on shore had done with them for nearly the whole day. The Almandine, like a fastidious guardsman, seemed to think the affair ' a bore,' and disdained to take the trouble of racing at all. She lay in the centre of the harbor, tranquilly, as if reposing on a sort of watery sofa, full of charming languor. Round her circulated innumerable gay pleasure boats, all parasols and bright ribbons. Towards two o'clock, the terraces of the Royal St Arthur's and of the Royal Burgee became crowded, and the band of the Sixth (Prince Regent's Own), one circle of legs and jackets, with caps at about the sloping angle of a roof, played ' selections' under the direction of Herr Spoffman. They had been brought by special train. The Royal St. Arthur's were giving a dejeuner a la fourchette, in the boat house, at four o'clock. The commodore and vice-commodore of the Royal Burgee were, almost perforce, invited; and the members of the Royal Burgee, though they hated it, still spoke with pride of the invitation, and told each other at the house ' that the commodore and vice ditto were over at St. Arthur's.' As the day wore on, the excitement increased, and the crowds gathered more thickly on the pier. Special trains began to arrive from neighboring manufacturing towns. On the jetty and pier were the usual ' Fair' supernumeraries; fellows shooting for nuts, the roulettes, the carts of spruce and ginger beer. These familiars take the race course and the regatta on their circuit indifferently. The Cheap Jacks lectured. But suddenly among the motley group appeared an open carriage, with a very large gentleman in a large hat—a bright girl beside him—who was calling out in a loud voice, «Don't stop the way, please—stand aside—we are in a hurry !' No wonder Doctor Bailey was eager, for he could actually hear the voice of 'that low Buckley' close by, who was in the midst of a ring on a granite stone, asking a large crowd whether ' their timbers were secure and well caulked; whether their ropes were taut, and were they ready to mount the ship's side; up the glorious gangway of faith, and step on the quarter deck of the resurrection ?' Seeing faces turning away from him at the sound of carriage wheels, Mr Buckley went on. 'ls thi ' he way to put out on the sea of in purple and fine linen, and,' with a slight confusion of metaphor, ' rolling in one's carriage ? Is it by going down to riot, and drink, and

eat, and be filled, and make merry, like the swine, that the God-fearing mariner fits himself for his work ?' &c.

Thus did the low Buckley make the doctor serve as a text and homily. What did the latter care ? There he was, getting down at the door of the Royal St. Arthur's, and, striding in with his daughter on his arm. * Keep back these people, policeman,' he said. 'There's really no getting into one's own house. Sir Charles —he has come, I suppose ? eh, Bowles ? Seen the Prince about ?'

Thus he passed in, pushing his way with many a ' Let me pass, please ! People should move on, and not crowd in the doors.' Miss Jessica's lips were contracted, and to other people she looked as overbearing as her father. Out on the terrace they came among the gay company, where the Prince Regent's Own were drumming and clattering the eternal Trovatore, with infinite noise.

In a moment Mr Conway was beside them, and was seized on, swallowed up in the vast greeting of the tremendous doctor, who was himself family, daughter, wife, all, and spoke for all. With a quiet inattention, Mr Conway put him aside and welcomed Jessica. She was all interest, all excitement. She had been looking out for him eagerly, as he saw. The doctor became of a sudden submerged in business, calling out, looking for some one. ' Where's Colman ? Send him here, do! Has Sir Charles come ? Here, ma'am, be good euough, do. Don't crowd about the passage ; people can't get in or out,' &c.

He was now in the boat house, looking after the dejeuner : now out of the boat house, looking after the great people, and all the while, not unnaturally, in a very great heat.

' I am so glad to meet you,' said Jessica. ' What you thought of me I do not know. But there are people who try and ' draw out' my father, as they call it, and I thought ' 'You thought I could be so ill-bred, so ungentlemanly ?' said Conway, coloring. ' I did,' said she fearlessly. ' I tell the truth always, though you may despise me, and make yourself my enemy for ever.' 'Well, you are independent like myself. I should have make the same answer, I suspect. And I like you the better for telling me this. Look here ; who comes by ? You will tell me all the notables.' It was the doctor, and a short spare, wiry, grey gentleman, in a white coat and blue tie, and with a tall young lady on his arm. She was dressed to perfection, and a certain good taste about her made her face handsome. It was Laura, the heiress, and though the majority there were above everything mean, yet the presence of so nmeli wealth unconsciously fluttered them all, and numbers of necks and heads were twisted and craned ' to get a good view.' People even reverentlymade way and drew back with an awe they were ashamed of, but could not resist. If all of us were saints, money would force this homage. The doctor was their grand chamberlain. ' See here, Sir Charles. That's the Almandine, Lord Formanton's, you know, fine vessel. I had the son and his friend, the Prince of Saxe-Groningen, to lunch with me. Most gentlemanly fellow. Ah ! by the way, Sir Charles, here he is. Conway, allow me. Sir Charles Panton—Miss Panton.'

Conway, perfect gentleman as he was, could give a rebuke, or be insolent even, with his face. He conveyed by his cold bow that he had not desired this introduction, and conveyed it to all the parties concerned.

'I hope Doctor Bailey,' he said, turning to Jessica, 'will not ask me to make any more acquaintances. I make it a point to be disagreeable, and a Miss Mammon I never can stand.'

'I am delighted,' said Jessica, enthusiastically. 'My father thinks them the greatest people in the world, and is always asking them, or wishing to be asked by them. You saw how she looked at me. She is empress over this part of the country. But I am not under her, and disdain her rule, and would die before I would submit to her. And she knows it.'

' How you and I shall agree,' said Conway. ' It's refreshing to hear such independence. lam independent, too, of all the world, except of a certain good but rather ambitious person, whose name is Formanton.'

' Oh, your father ?' ' Yes. My poor mother, last and only one of all my friends, left me to him. I am his while he lives, as much as a serf used to be in Russia. But for this I should have married ten, fifteen years ago, and done something. As it is, I have been leading an actor's life, instead of doing something useful. Now I have grown old, and the best part of life is gone. But I have made a promise, and must stick to it. ' Stick to it!' Is not that a refined speech ? Even in English, where I used to be rather ' nice ' You see the decay ?' Ifc must have been time for the dejeuner, for Doctor Bailey was bustling people about, and giving loud orders, causing angry faces to be turned round as he stood on dresses and roughly pushed past ladies. He was always hot and angry when he

stood on a lady's dress, or dragged it from her waist.

' Such things ! A man can't walk. I really must ask you, ma'am, to stand out of the way. No one can get by.' * Rude bear !' ' Savage !' were the whispered rejoinders. There was another lady of rank present, whom the doctor himself had described as ' a broken down honorable,' whom he was obliged to ' take in,' and he gave out orders right and left to others, _ dragging this partner about, and clutching at young men. ' Here, you —get somebody and take 'em in.' Then his eye fell on Miss Panton, and he seized Mr Conway and eagerly ' hauled' him to hpr side. As for his own daughter, what did it matter what became of her? Conway now that fate was inexorable, offered himself for duty with perfect complacency. But he could see the uncoucealed dissatisfaction, the open color, of the lady he was thus obliged to leave. This sort of character, clear as crystal, which disdained to conceal, was really new to him and quite inviting.

With his new companion he was quite a different person. He became the conventional gentleman of parties and amusements, asked with apparent interest as to her balls and parties", and talked in the usual personal way of his own movements. One thing she saw clearly, he was not in the least impressed by her acknowledged sovereignty.

'I see you know those Baileys,' she said, pettishly. 'Very pushing people.' He had never met so fretted a voice.

' I like her/ said Mr Conway, with an affected warmth, 'so much. She is charmingly natural, and full of honesty. She is to be pittied with that intrusive father, who should have been chamberlain at a little German court, not an English clergyman.' ' I know nothing of them/ said she, haughtily ; ' nothing whatever. Of course we exchange visits, and that sort of thing, but I do not wish to go beyond it.' ' So I have heard,' said Conway smiling. ' They have told me already that Miss Panton is queen of this country for miles round. They speak with distending eyes, and gaping mouths of her vast wealth, and gold and jewels. lam sure it must amuse you. But these poor people can't help it, you know.' ' And these people I suppose have been telling you all this ?' ' These people ?' repeated Mr Conway, wishing 'to take her down' a little. ' Oh, Dr Bailey and his daughter, Miss Bailey. I see, lam getting on the thin ice. You know a stranger cannot be, nor is expected to be, posted up in the little vendettas of a place like this.' The pettish look she gave him, gave him pleasure afterwards to think of. 'I a vendetta with them ! I repeat they are outside our circle. It is barely an acquaintance. You might as well say I have a vendetta with that sailor their.'

' No doubt,' said he, gravely ; ' and my life in this place has been only a day or so long. But as a mere fact of general experience your illustration does not hold. In plays, you know, the wicked lord often takes a horrid and unmeaning dislike to his virtuous tenant in a red waistcoat.'

All this while two sullen eyes had been bent on them from the opposite side of the room, and he thus heard a voice beside him, ' Red waistcoats and virtuous tenants ! Do you hear Conway ? Let me warn you,' he added to her, ' he has got all the refinements and metaphysics. I know him; and with these little smart things he makes himself interesting. I know you of old, my dear friend.' ' No you do not,' said the other, coolly, 'That is much too highly colored an account of our acquaintance. Pardon me if I am wrong, but you know very little about me, Dudley. Now, Miss Panton, come into this place. lam sure you must be tired, and perhaps hungry.' There was a vast clatter of plates, knives, and forks, and champagne explosion. The natives of the district were not generally accustomed to such rich and gratuitous entertainments. They flung themselves oh the banquet with something like ravenousness. It was hard to hear a neighbor's voice through it all.

CHAPTER VI. —' LOVE IN HER EYES SITS PLAYING.'

The dejeuner was nearly over, and the toasts were being given ; the splendid and courteous commodore, who had done so much so splendidly for his club; our splendid queen ; splendid noble prince; our distinguished and splendid guests, even our rival Burgee commodore, who, if not splendid, yet viewed athwart the sparkling bubbles of morning champagne, was decent and worthy, and meant well. The Burgee responded with almost grovelling gratitude, and he should never, till laid in the cold earth, ' forget their kindness of that day.' Then raging of cannon outside; rather flushed faces stream out to see the yachts dropping in. Oh, of course the shabby, greedy Morna, monster of snowy white, comes rolling in first, triumphant and contemptuous, the rest a quarter, half an hour, hours behind ! Well into the harbor sails the vast yacht, stooping over, her dress ballooning out, the water falling away from before her in ridges of snowy foam.

She comes on and on, growing larger every second, until it is thought she will be in on the shore, when bang goes the canon from the flagship. She has won, and she whisks round contemptuously. The very magnificence of the demeanor of the unpopular craft extorts a cheer. After that the evening closes in slowly, dropping its mantle gently over all, making the white grey and the sea leaden, and then dark. Lights begin to sparkle ;. the distant music sounds like a faint hum. The two club houses light up like blazing lanterns, and the populace stand in crowds gazing at the fine company within, who are having their dance. Then, darkness being well set in, it was time to expect the fireworks. The whole surface of the harbor was covered with crawling boats, and resounded with the chatter and laughter of exuberant voices. Lights flitted from end to end of every yacht; and now and again a ' blue light' flashed, showing rows of faces illuminated in that strangely pale light. From the step of the club house was putting off the Almandine's barge," and Mr Conway had helped down Miss Jessica into the after portion. The gossips of the little place had noted how ' that cunning girl was laying herself out for that good catch,' as they called Mr Conway. By that light not much could be seen of the beauties, comforts, and luxuries of the Almandine. To the terrestrial visitor nothing seems so complete and tempting as a well appointed yacht; and the fascination is very much that of a baby house, with its complete kitchens, bedrooms, &c, for a little girlv Harbor visitants do not guess how odious it would seem on, say, the second day after going to sea, when a gale is ' on' and the waves high. Doctor Bailey was critical, and spoke as if in mariner's orders all his life. 'Exceedingly nice and well appointed, nothing could be in better taste. You are a true Formanton, my dear Mr Conway,' As the fireworks now began to whiz and roar, the rockets bent, as it were, on blasting the very welkin, while the distant Catherine wheels whirled and blazed, and showered cascades of sparks, lighting up thousands of spectral figures lining the pier, Mr Conway was talking with interest to Miss Jessica. The two were leaning over the rail, and he told her a great deal of his life and story. Such pastime there are plenty of selfish people to delight in, who would be autobiographical, * end on,' for days. In fact, our human nature prefers talking of itself to talking of any one else. This amusement is generally mere vanity and selfishness. But there are autobiographies we like to listen to, because they are natural and unselfish, and extorted, as it were, because we have a sympathy to extend to them. * After all this egotism,' he said at the end, when the fiery letters, ' Welcome to the Royal St. Akthub's' were burning out, and after some erratic squibbing and pyrotechnical spluttering, all waa darkness and silence, ' after all this egotism, what can it be to you whether this be my turn of mind ? Whether Ibe cold or calculating, or when once deceived, never let myself be deceived again ? Whether if I suspected anything in, say, a person who was my wife, I would disdain to question, to ask for explanation, but work the thing out for myself, independent of all, as if I were alone in the world ? I say, what is this to any one ? But there you have my creed, such as it is.'

' I understand you now,' she said, ' perfectly ; and may I confess, too, that I admire such a character.'

' And you really do ? And you admire this standing alone, as it were, this having one's own for everything—opinion, counsel, judgment—no appeal: a blind unswerving confidence in oneself, not as a safe guide by any means, but one more suited to me than any other could be ? There is self-sufficiency for you !' ' And, of course, you despise women above all!' she said warmly, though he could not see her cheeks kindling. ' I shall conceal nothing from you,' he went on, that is, if you still care to listen '

• Care to listen !' and her foot stamped, ' I should tell you so if I did not. I like to listen, though I know I shall not like what you tell me. But the vapid fools my father brings to the house, and who talk in their insipid way of women—girls whose one thought is worth their whole nature—you won't tell me that you think with them ?'

' I shall tell you the truth. What the only being in the world that ever Wed me left to me as her treasure and jewel box. lam an old man now, as the world goes, thirty years old and odd, and during those years it is inconceivable the picture of female character that has passed before me. Not before me, but before Lord Formanton's son and heir. The history of adulation ond abasement that I could give would be incredible. lam ashamed of myself, and of them, when I think of it. Miss Bailey is almost the first I have met who disdains such behaviour, or, perhaps/ he added, laughing, ' does not think me worth the trouble.'

Here broke in the rude voice of the Doctor: ' I think we must ask you for the

boat, Mr Conway. This has been all very pleasant. And we shall certainly come fry daylight and see your nice vessel. The Doctor got down into the boat with difficulty and grumbling. ' Suohan». convenient sort of arrangement. He felt cold about his great neck, and took his daughter's cloak as a sort of muffler, in which he looked very grotesque. In her own room Jessica sat long before going to bed, ruminating softly, and smiling to herself, and finally walking up and down, tmd talking to herself, with a sort of exultation and forecasting of the future. «I see it,' she said, «I see it coming. He shall love me—nay, does love me! 1 know it, plainly and truly, as if it were a revelation, that he came into this world forme; that I shall fill up for him that blank, desolate corner in his existence which for years has been before His weary eyes. Yes, all this was foreordained. As he told me his story—and oh ! how he told it—could I not see my own place, and could have cried out, " I should have been there !" He begins to see it, too. It is what I have been waiting for, and what he has been waiting tor ! And he will ask me, I know, to be bis. It is coming and as sure as to-morrow is coming.' , T , _. In came her maid, and Jessica almost smiled at her own excitement. So that eventful day ended. {To he continued.)