William Henry Giles Kingston

“ That the ship had struck and was in dire distress there could be no doubt, but when they gazed at the dark, heaving waves which rolled in crested with foam, and just discernible in the fast waning twilight, and felt the fierce blast against which even they could scarcely stand upright on the slippery pier, hardy and bold as they were, they hesitated about venturing forth to the rescue of the hapless crew. Long before they could reach the wreck darkness would be resting on the troubled ocean; they doubted, indeed, whether they could force their boat out in the teeth of the fierce gale. ”

“ And have you not reflected that you may have won her heart as you may possibly have lost your own?”
“Mother,” said Harry, rising and taking Lady Castleton’s hand, “I love her for herself and herself alone; she has given me her love in return, and you would not wish your son to marry for mercenary or any other motives except such as influence me.”
“I wish to see your happiness secured, my dear Harry, but I fear that your father will not view matters in the light you do. He will certainly not approve of your marrying any one beneath you in rank.” ”

“ Exclamations of delight and satisfaction burst from the lips of all the party on hearing this announcement.
“I only wish that I had been there,” exclaimed Harry, and Captain Fancourt looked as if he wished the same.
“You might have been among those who lost their lives,” observed Miss Pemberton; “we would rather have you safe on shore.”
“We must take our chance with others,” said Harry. “I only hope, Uncle Fancourt, that you will soon be able to get me afloat again, though I am not tired of home yet.” ”

“ If a proper pride, and a sense of what is due to his family no longer restrains him, let him understand that his father is a mere beggar, dependent on the will of another, though you have nothing to fear, as I may tell you that he acknowledges your lover as his son, and insists on my sanction to your marriage.”
“My dear father,” exclaimed Julia, “I had hoped, indeed, that all impediments to my happiness would be removed, but how can that affect you or Harry?”
“You shall know all in time,” answered Sir Ralph, gloomily. “Till the arrival of Captain Headland, I am prohibited from saying more. ”

“ Every day before going off for the night’s fishing in the Nancy, Jacob managed to find time to get up to Downside.
He would have been a bold man who would have ventured to encounter the young fisherman with any intention of annoying Maiden May. Honest love, when the object loved is to be benefited, wonderfully sharpens the wits. Jacob, who would never have thought of such a thing under other circumstances, had set a boy to watch the inn, and bring him word of Miles’s movements. ”

“ Julia must have grown into a tall young lady, and Harry and Algernon into full-grown men. I shall be interested in hearing what Harry is like especially; he was a great favourite of mine when a boy. He has now become a fine gallant officer. I wish I could let him know how much I should like to see him; for although Sir Ralph and Lady Castleton have been so inattentive, we should not, therefore, feel the less regard for their son, and I am sure he would not hesitate to come, if he remembered that we are here. ”

“ As Julia’s glance fell on the name of the Thisbe, and the words “all the people are lost,” a sickening sensation came over, and her eyes refused to convey to her mind the meaning of the letter. It was dropping from her trembling hands when, by a great effort, she recovered herself, and at length was able to decipher the writing. She read on. The Thisbe and Headland were safe. Poor Harry was lost. She blamed herself for selfishly feeling that this was a relief. Then May, crushed by the agony of her grief, rose before her. ”

“ On reaching Downside May went into the house to send for the gardener to hold his horse, and to announce his visit. The two ladies came to the door to welcome him.
“I should have known you by your voice,” said Miss Mary, taking his hand, “though you have grown from a boy into a man since we met you last. But there is something I discern in a voice which never alters: yours is the tone I like to hear.”
“We must not flatter Harry, and I do not do it,” observed Miss Jane. “I see the same expression in his countenance which won my regard when he was a midshipman. ”

“ A longer time than usual had passed since Maiden May had paid a visit to the cottage of her foster-parents.
Adam and the dame were seated in their usual places by the fire, the dame, never idle, busily employed in mending one of her son’s garments.
“You or I, mother, must go up this evening and inquire for our May,” said Adam, knocking the ashes out of his pipe. “She would never stay away from us so long of her own free-will; and either one of the ladies must have been taken ill, and they cannot spare her, or she herself may be ailing.” ”

“ I know that she no longer lives with them, and has become fit to occupy a different station in life; but you, I doubt not, love her notwithstanding as much as ever. Tell your parents how much I esteem them, and say to your sister that my love is unchangeable, that my dying thoughts were of her, my last prayers for her welfare. I have done what I could to secure it, and have left her all the property I possess. Mr Shallard, the lawyer at Morbury, will enable her to obtain possession of it.”
“Miss May my sister!” exclaimed Jacob in a tone which aroused Harry’s attention. ”

“ The circumstance of your birth ought not to be an impediment, and believe me, May, with all the desire I possess to be an obedient son, I could not be influenced by such a reason. I do not invite you to share poverty with me, for I have already an ample income to support a wife, and as I need not ask my father for a single shilling, I do not think he will have any just reason to oppose my wishes.”
“Harry,” said May, “I own I love you, but I must not run any risk of creating dissension between you and your parents. ”

“ Such was Headland’s history, and Harry assured him at its close that he always knew he must be a gentleman by birth, as he was in every other possible way.
“I heartily wish,” he said, “that you may some day find out to whom you belong. Whoever they are you may depend on it they will welcome you joyfully. Why there goes eight bells. Our watch has indeed passed quickly away.” ”

“ I am not ambitious of wealth, and when the piping times of peace come round, and I am sent on shore to shift for myself, I shall have saved enough to live on in comfort and respectability.”
“What, with a wife!” asked Harry. “She may not be satisfied with what you consider a competency.”
“I have not thought about marrying,” answered Headland, laughing, “and I do not suppose any lady I should like would accept an unknown adventurer such as I should be considered,” he added, and a shade came over his countenance showing that he felt his position more than he was willing to acknowledge. ”

“ When invited to come to dinner, Miss Jane was pleased to see her stand up with her hands before her, ready to repeat the grace which she herself uttered.
“Father always prays before and after meals though he does not say the same words; but I think God does not care about the words so much as what comes out of the heart. Oh, He is very very kind, I always thank Him for what He gives me. If He had not taken care of me, I should have been washed away in the sea with my poor ayah and all the people on board the ship.”
“And you love God my little maiden,” asked Miss Pemberton. ”

“ I so love flowers. We have none near our cottage, for they would not grow on the sand,” and May ran off, stopping like a gay butterfly, now before one flower, now before another, to admire its beauty and enjoy its fragrance.
“If you can spare a few moments, Mistress Halliburt, I should like to learn from you more than I can understand from the account your little girl has been giving me of herself,” said Miss Mary, as the dame approached her. “She has been talking about a wreck and being brought on shore by your husband. Is she not really your child?” ”

“ As the assembly gathered round the family tomb of the Castletons, Mr Groocock, happening to look up, observed among the crowd, standing directly opposite where the chief mourners were collected, a dark bearded man, whose eye was fixed on Sir Ralph, his countenance exhibiting a peculiarly evil expression.
“That man comes here for no good,” thought the steward. “He had no love for Sir Reginald, and he is not one who would put himself out of his way for an object which could be of no advantage to him. ”

“ You see, my dear Harry, we must all be prepared for trials in this rugged world, but then, according to my experience, we are the better for them in the end. If the lady is obdurate or coy, or if her friends throw obstacles in the way, or if want of means exist, we must try to win her by greater attention, or sometimes by pretended indifference, or we must set to work to overcome the obstacles, or to gain the means which are wanting, and we shall enjoy double satisfaction when we triumph. ”

“ His sister Julia was the last of the family he embraced. “The next time I come home I must bring my old shipmate, Headland; I am glad to find that he has joined the Triton. He is one of the noblest and most gallant fellows alive,” he said, as he wished her good-bye.
“Though we shall be happy to see your friend, I only want you to bring yourself back, Harry, safe and sound, with your proper complement of arms and legs,” she answered, smiling through her tears. ”

“ The old woman threw some sticks on the fire, which blazing up now for the first time, revealed his features more clearly than before.
“Why, father, he is Miles Gaffin,” exclaimed Jacob.
“I knew that,” answered Adam, “when we hauled him into the boat.”
“Miles Gaffin,” cried Mad Sal, “the bloodthirsty and wretched man shall not live out half his days; yet, as the sea refused to keep him, we must not be more cruel.” ”

“ May, turning pale, gazed anxiously at Miss Jane; the thought that the letter had reference to Harry crossed her mind. She gasped for breath.
“What is it, Jane?” asked Miss Mary, in a calm tone. “From whom is the letter?”
“From Mr Shallard; he writes that the M— bank, in which most of our property is invested, has failed, and he fears that but a small portion will be saved.”
“Oh, how terrible,” exclaimed Julia.
“Not terrible, dear Julia,” said Miss Mary, “though trying. I grieve for others more than for ourselves,” and she turned her sightless orbs towards May. ”

“ Jack at length retired, leaving the two gentlemen alone.
“It is, indeed, wonderful, Mr Castleton, that you and my son should thus have been brought together, and I trust that whatever may occur, your friendship will continue as warm as ever.”
“There is little doubt about that, sir;” answered Harry, “especially as I hope we shall some day become nearly related, as my friend is engaged to marry my only sister, though my father objects to the match on grounds which I consider very insufficient—his ignorance of his parentage; but now I trust that will no longer be an impediment.” ”

“ Sir Ralph started, and gazed with a bewildered look.
“Who are you? Speak. I well remember those features,” he exclaimed.
“And I remember yours, Ralph,” said the stranger, stepping forward and taking his hand. “However, we will say no more on the subject at present. Your son and General Sampson know me as Mr Hastings; let me retain that name till we can converse in private. In the meantime, continue your preparations to receive the ruffians, who are close at hand. Thanks to the speed at which we were driving, the volley they fired did us no harm.” ”

“ If yonder ship drives on the sands—and she has but a poor chance of keeping off them, I fear—we cannot let her people perish without trying to save them; and though it may be a hard job to get alongside the wreck, yet some of the poor fellows may be drifted away from her on rafts or spars, and we may be able to pick them up. Whatever happens, we must do our best. ”

“ In a few seconds more, a sea bearing her on, she seemed about to rush into the harbour, when a crash was heard, the water washed over her deck, both the masts fell, and her hull, swinging round, blocked up the entrance. The men on shore rushed to their boats to render assistance to the unfortunate crew, but as the foaming seas washed them off the deck, the current which ran out of the river swept them away, and though so close to land, in sight of their fellow-creatures, not one of the hapless men was rescued. ”

“ At this juncture he heard a voice exclaiming—
“Are you still at your old work, ye hard-hearted ruffians, dragging off the young and helpless to be drowned in the salt, salt sea. Aren’t ye emissaries of Satan; let him go free, or my curses rest on you.” And Jacob saw the tall figure of Mad Sal descending the cliffs by a pathway few would have ventured to tread. Now and then she stopped and waved the long staff she carried in her hand.
“Who is that old woman?” asked Miles. “Make her hold her tongue, some of you, will you?”
“It’s more than you or any other man can do,” said one of the ruffians. ”

“ Frequently Miss Jane and Miss Mary were present, but sometimes they sent May and Harry by themselves, and only followed when at leisure. Those moments were very delightful to the young people. They did not perhaps hurry on with the grotto as fast as they might otherwise have done, and when the ladies arrived they had not always made much progress. Yet Harry believed that he said nothing to May which he would not have been willing for his cousins to hear, and probably had he been accused of making love to the fisherman’s daughter, he would indignantly have denied that he was doing so. ”

“ In spite of her previous resolutions, Lady Castleton was so far gained over by Harry, that she promised to wait and see how things were likely to go.
“Thank you, mother,” exclaimed Harry, kissing her brow; “all will go right. We must get Sir Ralph to see May without knowing who she is, and depend on it he will be enchanted with her, perhaps insist that I shall forthwith go and make her an offer of marriage.” ”

“ Towards dawn Adam started up. The howling of the wind in the chimney and the rattling sound of the windows which looked towards the sea decreased.
“Lads!” he shouted, “the gale is breaking, we may yet be in time to save life, and maybe to get salvage too from the wreck. We will be off at once.”
The crew required no second summons. Telling his dame to keep up her spirits, and that he should soon be back, he led the way to the pier. ”

“ All listened with breathless interest to what Sir Ranald Castleton was saying. Harry’s satisfaction can better be imagined than described.
“I am very sure that you are Sir Ranald Castleton; those who doubt it have only to examine your picture in the study. Though I recognise you, I doubt not so will the old steward, Mr Groocock, and many others who knew you in your youth,” said Mr Shallard, as Sir Ranald warmly greeted him as an old friend. ”