第 54 页

been made, as the traders were naturally most anxious to resume their

business, and most able to pay for speed.

Captain Dave's was one of the first houses completed in Tower Street,

but there were many others far advanced in progress. The front

differed materially from that of the old house, in which each story

had projected beyond the one below it. Inside, however, there was but

little change in its appearance, except that the rooms were somewhat

more lofty, and that there were no heavy beams across the ceilings.

Captain Dave and his family had moved in that morning.

"It does not look quite like the old place," Mrs. Dowsett said, after

the first greetings.

"Not quite," Cyril agreed. "The new furniture, of course, gives it a

different appearance as yet; but one will soon get accustomed to

that, and you will quickly make it home-like again. I see you have

the bits of furniture you saved in their old corners."

"Yes; and it will make a great difference when they get all my

curiosities up in their places again," Captain Dave put in. "We

pulled them down anyhow, and some of them will want glueing up a bit.

And so your fighting is over, Cyril?"

"Yes, it looks like it. The Dutch have evidently had enough of it.

They asked for peace, and as both parties consented to the King of

Sweden being mediator, and our representatives and those of Holland

are now settling affairs at Breda, peace may be considered as finally

settled. We have only two small squadrons now afloat; the rest are

all snugly laid up. I trust that there is no chance of another war

between the two nations for years to come."

"I hope not, Cyril. But De Witte is a crafty knave, and is ever in

close alliance with Louis. Were it not for French influence the

Prince of Orange would soon oust him from the head of affairs."

"I should think he would not have any power for mischief in the

future," Cyril said. "It was he who brought on the last war, and,

although it has cost us much, it has cost the Dutch very much more,

and the loss of her commerce has well-nigh brought Holland to ruin.

Besides, the last victory we won must have lowered their national

pride greatly."

"You have not heard the reports that are about, then?"

"No, I have heard no news whatever. It takes a long time for it to

travel down to Norwich, and I have seen no one since I came up to

town last night."

"Well, there is a report that a Dutch Fleet of eighty sail has put to

sea. It may be that 'tis but bravado to show that, though they have

begged for peace, 'tis not because they are in no condition to fight.

I know not how this may be, but it is certain that for the last three

days the Naval people have been very busy, and that powder is being

sent down to Chatham. As for the Fleet, small as it is, it is

doubtful whether it would fight, for the men are in a veritable state

of mutiny, having received no pay for many months. Moreover, several

ships were but yesterday bought by Government, for what purpose it is

not known, but it is conjectured they are meant for fire-ships."

"I cannot but think that it is, as you say, a mere piece of bravado

on the part of the Dutch, Captain Dave. They could never be so

treacherous as to attack us when peace is well-nigh concluded, but,

hurt as their pride must be by the defeat we gave them, it is not

unnatural they should wish to show that they can still put a brave

fleet on the seas, and are not driven to make peace because they

could not, if need be, continue the war."

"And now I have a piece of news for you. We are going to have a

wedding here before long."

"I am right glad to hear it," Cyril said heartily. "And who is the

happy man, Nellie?" he asked, turning towards where she had been

standing the moment before. But Nellie had fled the moment her father

had opened his lips.

"It is Frank Watson," her father said. "A right good lad; and her

mother and I are well pleased with her choice."

"I thought that he was very attentive the few days we were on board

his father's ship," Cyril said. "I am not surprised to hear the

news."

"They have been two voyages since then, and while the _Good Venture_

was in the Pool, Master Frank spent most of his time down at Stepney,

and it was settled a fortnight since. My old friend Watson is as

pleased as I am. And the best part of the business is that Frank is

going to give up the sea and become my partner. His father owns the

_Good Venture_, and, being a careful man, has laid by a round sum,

and he settled to give him fifteen hundred pounds, which he will put

into the business."

"That is a capital plan, Captain Dave. It will be an excellent thing

for you to have so young and active a partner."

"Watson has bought the house down at Stepney that we have been living

in, and Frank and Nellie are going to settle there, and Watson will

make it his headquarters when his ship is in port, and will, I have

no doubt, take up his moorings there, when he gives up the sea. The

wedding is to be in a fortnight's time, for Watson has set his heart

on seeing them spliced before he sails again, and I see no reason for

delay. You must come to the wedding, of course, Cyril. Indeed, I

don't think Nellie would consent to be married if you were not there.

The girl has often spoken of you lately. You see, now that she really

knows what love is, and has a quiet, happy life to look forward to,

she feels more than ever the service you did her, and the escape she

had. She told the whole story to Frank before she said yes, when he

asked her to be his wife, and, of course, he liked her no less for

it, though I think it would go hard with that fellow if he ever met

him."

"The fellow died of the Plague, Captain Dave. His last action was to

try and revenge himself on me by giving me the infection, for,

meeting me in the streets, he threw his arms round me and exclaimed,

'I have given you the Plague!' They were the last words he ever

spoke, for he gave a hideous laugh, and then dropped down dead.

However, he spoke truly, for that night I sickened of it."

"Then your kindness to Nellie well-nigh cost you your life," Mrs.

Dowsett said, laying her hand on his shoulder, while the tears stood

in her eyes. "And you never told us this before!"

"There was nothing to tell," Cyril replied. "If I had not caught it

from him, I should have, doubtless, taken it from someone else, for I

was constantly in the way of it, and could hardly have hoped to

escape an attack. Now, Captain Dave, let us go downstairs, and see

the store."

"John Wilkes and the two boys are at work there," the Captain said,

as he went downstairs, "and we open our doors tomorrow. I have

hurried on the house as fast as possible, and as no others in my

business have yet opened, I look to do a thriving trade at once.

Watson will send all his friends here, and as there is scarce a

captain who goes in or out of port but knows Frank, I consider that

our new partner will greatly extend the business."

Captain Watson and Frank came in at supper-time, and, after spending

a pleasant evening, Cyril returned to his lodgings in the Strand. The

next day he was walking near Whitehall when a carriage dashed out at

full speed, and, as it came along, he caught sight of the Duke of

Albemarle, who looked in a state of strange confusion. His wig was

awry, his coat was off, and his face was flushed and excited. As his

eye fell on Cyril, he shouted out to the postillions to stop. As they

pulled up, he shouted,--

"Jump in, Sir Cyril! Jump in, for your life."

Astonished at this address, Cyril ran to the door, opened it, and

jumped in, and the Duke shouted to the postillions to go on.

"What do you think, sir?--what do you think?" roared the Duke. "Those

treacherous scoundrels, the Dutch, have appeared with a great Fleet

of seventy men-of-war, besides fire-ships, off Sheerness, this

morning at daybreak, and have taken the place, and Chatham lies open

to them. We have been bamboozled and tricked. While the villains were

pretending they were all for peace, they have been secretly fitting

out, and there they are at Sheerness. A mounted messenger brought in

the news, but ten minutes ago."

"Have they taken Sheerness, sir?"

"Yes; there were but six guns mounted on the fort, and no

preparations made. The ships that were there did nothing. The rascals

are in mutiny--and small wonder, when they can get no pay; the money

voted for them being wasted by the Court. It is enough to drive one

wild with vexation, and, had I my will, there are a dozen men, whose

names are the foremost in the country, whom I would hang up with my

own hands. The wind is from the east, and if they go straight up the

Medway they may be there this afternoon, and have the whole of our

ships at their mercy. It is enough to make Blake turn in his grave

that such an indignity should be offered us, though it be but the

outcome of treachery on the part of the Dutch, and of gross

negligence on ours. But if they give us a day or two to prepare, we

will, at least, give them something to do before they can carry out

their design, and, if one could but rely on the sailors, we might

even beat them off; but it is doubtful whether the knaves will fight.

The forts are unfinished, though the money was voted for them three

years since. And all this is not the worst of it, for, after they

have taken Chatham, there is naught to prevent their coming up to

London. We have had plague and we have had fire, and to be bombarded

by the Dutchmen would be the crowning blow, and it would be like to

bring about another revolution in England."

They posted down to Chatham as fast as the horses could gallop. The

instant the news had arrived, the Duke had sent off a man, on

horseback, to order horses to be in readiness to change at each

posting station. Not a minute, therefore, was lost. In a little over

two hours from the time of leaving Whitehall, they drove into the

dockyard.

"Where is Sir Edward Spragge?" the Duke shouted, as he leapt from the

carriage.

"He has gone down to the new forts, your Grace," an officer replied.

"Have a gig prepared at once, without the loss of a moment," the Duke

said. "What is being done?" he asked another officer, as the first

ran off.

"Sir Edward has taken four frigates down to the narrow part of the

river, sir, and preparations have been made for placing a great chain

there. Several of the ships are being towed out into the river, and

are to be sunk in the passage."

"Any news of the Dutch having left Sheerness?"

"No, sir; a shallop rowed up at noon, but was chased back again by

one of our pinnaces."

"That is better than I had hoped. Come, come, we shall make a fight

for it yet," and he strode away towards the landing.

"Shall I accompany you, sir?" Cyril asked.

"Yes. There is nothing for you to do until we see exactly how things

stand. I shall use you as my staff officer--that is, if you are

willing, Sir Cyril. I have carried you off without asking whether you

consented or no; but, knowing your spirit and quickness, I felt sure

you would be of use."

"I am at your service altogether," Cyril said, "and am glad indeed

that your Grace encountered me, for I should have been truly sorry to

have been idle at such a time."

An eight-oared gig was already at the stairs, and they were rowed

rapidly down the river. They stopped at Upnor Castle, and found that

Major Scott, who was in command there, was hard at work mounting

cannon and putting the place in a posture of defence.

"You will have more men from London by to-morrow night, at the

latest," the Duke said, "and powder and shot in abundance was sent

off yesterday. We passed a train on our way down, and I told them to

push on with all speed. As the Dutch have not moved yet, they cannot

be here until the afternoon of to-morrow, and, like enough, will not

attack until next day, for they must come slowly, or they will lose

some of their ships on the sands. We will try to get up a battery

opposite, so as to aid you with a cross fire. I am going down to see

Sir Edward Spragge now."

Taking their places in the boat again, they rowed round the horseshoe

curve down to Gillingham, and then along to the spot where the

frigates were moored. At the sharp bend lower down here the Duke

found the Admiral, and they held a long consultation together. It was

agreed that the chain should be placed somewhat higher up, where a

lightly-armed battery on either side would afford some assistance,

that behind the chain the three ships, the _Matthias_, the _Unity_,

and the _Charles V._, all prizes taken from the Dutch, should be

moored, and that the _Jonathan_ and _Fort of Honinggen_--also a

Dutch prize--should be also posted there.

Having arranged this, the Duke was rowed back to Chatham, there to

see about getting some of the great ships removed from their moorings

off Gillingham, up the river. To his fury, he found that, of all the

eighteen hundred men employed in the yard, not more than half a dozen

had remained at their work, the rest being, like all the townsmen,

occupied in removing their goods in great haste. Even the frigates

that were armed had but a third, at most, of their crews on board, so

many having deserted owing to the backwardness of their pay.

That night, Sir W. Coventry, Sir W. Penn, Lord Brounker, and other

officers and officials of the Admiralty, came down from London. Some

of these, especially Lord Brounker, had a hot time of it with the

Duke, who rated them roundly for the state of things which prevailed,

telling the latter that he was the main cause of all the misfortunes

that might occur, owing to his having dismantled and disarmed all the