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 L161— O-1096
 
 MR. NEWBY'S NEW NOVELS. 
 
 In Three Vols. Price 31s. 6d. 
 
 UNCLE ARMSTRONG. 
 
 A Novel. 
 By Lord B * # * ^ .^ ^ jr. 
 
 By the Author of " Masters and Workmen," " The Fate of 
 Folly," "Naples," &c. 
 
 In Three Vols. Price 31s. 6d. 
 
 A TROUBLED STREAM. 
 
 By the Author of " The Cliffords of Oakley," " Constance 
 
 Dale," &c. 
 
 In Three Vols. 
 
 TRODDEN DOWN. 
 
 A Novel. 
 
 By Mes. C. J. Newby, 
 
 Author of "Common Sense," " Kate Kennedy," " Wondrous 
 
 Strange," &c.
 
 Extract from the Morning Post, Feb. 16th, 1866. 
 
 A very ingenious invention has lately been 
 patented by Messrs. Jay, of Regent Street, — " THE 
 EUTHEIMA." It is nothing less than a self-fit- 
 ting and adjustable bodice, possessing the power of 
 expanding to accommodate any variation of the 
 figure, to obviate all undue pressure and necessity 
 for alteration, and therefore expressly suited to the 
 requirements of ladies in a delicate state of health. 
 " The Ex;theima" is made in black silk, elegantly 
 trimmed ; it is tight to the bust, with bands and 
 epaulettes of crepe or of silk gimp and jet beads, but 
 it can be made in any material. The elasticity is 
 contrived by the insertion of welts of elastic webbing 
 under the braces, from the shoulder to the waist, 
 beneath the arms and down the shoulders imder the 
 brace ornaments. The set and style are excellent. 
 The ladies appear to be quite ready to appreciate the 
 peculiar merits and conveniences of the new patent, 
 for, though but very recently introduced to the 
 public, the Queen {the Lady's Newspaper) and Court 
 Journal state that considerable mimbers have already 
 been sold.
 
 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 
 
 A NOVEL. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUJIES 
 
 BY 
 
 F. C. AEM STRONG, 
 
 Author of "TteTwo Midshipmen," "The Naval Lieutenant,'' 
 "The Young Commander," " The Lily of Devon," &c. 
 
 VOL. L 
 
 T. CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 
 
 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, 
 
 18G6. 
 [the right of translation is reserved.]
 
 
 I 
 7 . ; 
 
 OUE BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ^ TowAEDS the close of the last century, on the 
 ^ shores of Lough Corrib, one of the most romantic 
 
 and picturesque of Irish lakes, lay spread, in 
 
 ijj rich luxuriance, the noble estate of the once 
 
 (S powerful chieftains, the 0' Mores ; the descendants 
 
 whom, at the period of our story, were both still 
 ^wealthy and honoured. 
 
 y The mansion of Ashgrove was of considerable 
 J extent, and of imposing appearance, — standing, 
 '^■^ VOL. I. B
 
 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 as it did, in a commanding and exceedingly 
 beautiful position. 
 
 Mr. Gorman O'More had just succeeded to the 
 property, by the sudden and unexpected death of 
 his elder brother,— who, although married, left, 
 it was generally supposed, no legitimate heir. 
 The deceased, Roderick O'More, was a Protestant ; 
 but his brother, Gorman, who succeeded him, 
 followed the religion of his forefathers,— he was 
 a Roman Catholic. 
 
 Gorman O'More's family consisted, at the time 
 he came to reside at Ashgrove, of two sons and 
 one daughter ; the eldest son, about twenty, was 
 a student at Trmity College, Dublin ; the younger, 
 a mere child, just five years old; whilst the 
 daughter, Norah, had passed her fifteenth 
 
 year. 
 
 Although of the prevailing religion of the 
 country, Gorman O'More was exceedingly dis- 
 liked ; whilst his late brother, a Protestant, had 
 been beloved by all classes, and his memory was 
 treasured. Proud, even with his equals, Gorman
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 3 
 
 O'More was overbearing and tyrannical to his 
 tenantry and inferiors, and at all times oppres- 
 sive. 
 
 Besides being in possession of the x\shgrove 
 property, he was the next heir to the titles and 
 estates of Courtown, the present proprietor being 
 unmarried, and in his sixtieth year. Tliis noble- 
 man's lands adjoined those of Mr. O'More, who 
 looked forward confidently to the accession to a 
 title. 
 
 Mrs. Gorman O'More in her youth had been 
 considered a beauty ; she was descended from the 
 good old Catholic family of the Hamiltons, with 
 a very moderate fortune. 
 
 Though a younger brother, when he married, 
 Mr. O'More possessed a handsome independence. 
 
 Mrs, O'More's brother, George Hamilton, was 
 a gentleman who loved pleasure, and a life of 
 idleness; and Mis. O'More persuaded her hus- 
 band tliat he would be a valuable acquisition to 
 his family circle. It must be supposed that Mr. 
 O'More thought so too, for he not only tolerated 
 
 B 2
 
 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 his presence, but administered to liis extrava- 
 
 gance. 
 
 The sudden and unexpected succession of Mr. 
 Gorman O'More to the estates of Ashgrove was 
 a great event, and happened most opportunely, 
 as his pecuniary affairs had become not a little 
 embarrassed. 
 
 On taking possession, Mr. O'More, though far 
 from being a liberal man, permitted his wife, 
 who was most extravagant in her habits and style 
 of living, to completely new furnish the mansion. 
 Even the choice pictures, purchased abroad by 
 the late owner, were removed from the walls. 
 Not an article was left that the deceased had 
 cherished. 
 
 Mr. O'More did not succeed to the estates of 
 his brother without strange surmises being- 
 whispered respecting that succession. 
 
 Roderick O'More, one of the handsomest men 
 of his time, passed many years of his life abroad ; 
 and when he returned to reside permanently at 
 Ashgrove, he brought with him, as his bride, a
 
 AFLOAT AMD ASHORE. 
 
 Spanish lady, of exceeding beauty. Shortly after 
 his return his lady gave birth to a boy, who was 
 christened Roderick Magnus O'More. A year 
 after this event, Mrs. O'More renounced the 
 Catholic faith, and became a convert to Protest- 
 antism ; and, to the great surprise of friends and 
 relatives, Mr. O'More had the marriage ceremony 
 again performed in the parish church, — thus, as 
 he said, for certain reasons, uniting himself to 
 his fair lady a second time. Though this created 
 surprise, and surmises as to the legitimacy of the 
 young Magnus, Mr. O'More gave no exj^lanation, 
 except to Mr. Creagh, the Protestant minister, to 
 whom he solemnly declared that his son was his 
 undoubted heir ; but that his foreio-n marriaofe 
 was at the time involved in obscurity, and difficult 
 to prove. Eighteen months after this, Mrs. O'More 
 died, in her second accouchement. The child 
 did not survive her. The distraction of the hus- 
 band, who had idolized his beautiful wife, was 
 deep and sincere ; and, for a considerable time, 
 he gave way to despair. Suddenly, on the receipt
 
 6 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 of letters, he roused from his stupor; and, 
 having engaged the services of a most amiable 
 and talented lady, he left his darling child under 
 her care, and went abroad, remaining absent 
 more than a year. He returned, however, gloomy 
 and dejected ; shunned all society, devoting him- 
 self entirely to his son. When Magnus was 
 about seven years old, his father again left Ash- 
 grove, and proceeded to the Continent ; this time 
 adding a tutor to his establishment, — accepting 
 the services of Mr. Hamilton, who had passed 
 through Trinity College, Dublin, with some 
 eclat. 
 
 On Roderick O'More's return to Ashgrovc, 
 the troubled state of Ireland took him to Dublin, 
 at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant, and 
 there, from a fall from his horse, he perished, in 
 the thirty-fourth year of his age, his death, a 
 misfortune for all around him, universally la- 
 mented. 
 
 No proof whatever could be brought forward to 
 substantiate the claims of young Magnus to the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 7 
 
 property of his father, though Lord Courtown, a 
 strange and eccentric nobleman, related to the 
 O'Mores, made many enquiries ; and Gorman 
 O'More succeeded to the Ashgrove estates, de- 
 claring he was quite willing to surrender every- 
 thing if proof could be brought forward of his 
 nephewjs being born in lawful wedlock. 
 
 The complete ignorance, as regarded the late 
 Mrs. O'More, prevented any profitable enquiries, 
 Gorman asserted she was a foreign adventuress, 
 who, to induce his brother to marry her, turned 
 Protestant ; which marriage, as was well known, 
 took place more than twelve months after the. 
 birth of the son. Lord Courtown could not ex- 
 pect his kinsman to surrender his right to an 
 illegitimate child. Therefore, strange as the 
 whole affair was, and wrapped in mystery, no 
 further efforts were made to oppose Mr. O'More's 
 succession, who said he had amply provided for 
 the child and would take care of him, but that he 
 certainly should not allow him to continue to 
 bear the name of O'More.
 
 8 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 ^Nevertheless, Eoderick O'More, liis lovely, 
 kind-hearted wife, and their beautiful boy, were 
 not forgotten by the tenantry on the estate ; but 
 time rolled on, and though their memory lived in 
 the hearts of many, yet O'More held the estates, 
 and his lady kept OiDen house, giving splendid 
 entertainments, and in a short time all thefcrmer 
 visitants again frequented Ashgrove. 
 
 At college young Gorman O'lMore led a wild, 
 rollicking life. Dublin, at this period, was full of 
 young men, panting for what they imagined to 
 be liberty and freedom of the Green Isle from the 
 yoke of the Sassenach ; and with these wild sjiirits 
 young O'More mingled freely. 
 
 We have now to speak of the only daughter of 
 Gorman 0' More, with whom we have principally 
 to do in this our partly true storj^ Norah, the 
 gay, the spirited, the beautiful, and the tender- 
 hearted, was the idol of the tenants and peasantry 
 on the Ashgrove and Courtown estates. She was 
 Lord Courtown's god-daughter, and he loved her 
 as if she were his own child. But for her, the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 9 
 
 tenantry of Asbgrove would have been in open 
 rebellion against her father. Norah was ever 
 gay. Those who witnessed her high spirits ima- 
 gined the girl never gave a moment to thought — 
 they supposed that her life was only a pleasant 
 dream. But they were mistaken ; though at fif- 
 teen Norah was full of life and spirit, many things 
 at times made her think, and think seriously, 
 too. Many also wondered how it was that she 
 appeared to have such a decided will of her own, 
 for no one seemed to check her, though she had 
 a most unaraiable governess — a mere toady to 
 Mrs. O'More. The secret was, Norah was Lord 
 Cour town's favourite, and the distributor of his 
 lordship's bounty. He had made her a present 
 of a beautiful Spanish jennet, which she had 
 taught to love and follow her like a spaniel. 
 When her mother scolded her, or her father chided 
 her for visiting the cottages of the poor and 
 spending her money amongst them, Norah would 
 shove back the rich clustering locks of her dark 
 hair, and wiih sparkling eyes, dazzling in their 
 
 15 5
 
 10 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 brilliancy, with one of her irresistible laughs, 
 would silence her censors ; and, starting off, have 
 her jennet saddled, and in an hour was at Cour- 
 town Castle, delighting its gouty lord with her 
 light heart and cheerful conversation. 
 
 As ts the old women and maidens on the two 
 estates, they adored Norali ; the maidens never 
 wanted a gny ribbon or shawl, nor the old women 
 flannels and tea in the cold winter's nights. 
 Norah had a kind word for all. A kind word 
 or a smile, as thanks to the young men who 
 rushed to throw open the gates, to let her and 
 her pony pass, was more prized than a guinea to 
 spend at the next fair. Such was Norah, at the 
 age of fifteen. Her person or features we will 
 not describe ; we have said she was lovely, and 
 that is sufficient — we will let our readers imairine 
 in what that loveliness consisted. 
 
 About this period an event occurred which, 
 trifling as it appeared, led to most unexpected 
 results. Several small and insignificant disputes 
 had arisen between Mr. O'More's attorney and
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 11 
 
 Lord Courtown's bailiff respecting boundaries, 
 Mr. O'More being tenacious to a degree. One 
 morning Mr. McGrrab, the Aslitown attorney, a 
 mean, grasping, sordid individual, but a great 
 favourite with his patron, who had a house built 
 for his residence in the village, called Mr. 
 O'More's attention to the fact of Lord Courtown's 
 enclosing thirteen acres of boggy, marshy land, 
 which, he declared, undoubtedly belonged to the 
 Ashgrove estate, for on an old map, and in a re- 
 cent survey of the estate, Mr. McGrrab pointed 
 out to Mr. O'More that the thirteen acres of bog- 
 land were witliin his boundary ; and the attorney 
 also shewed him, if such and such an event were 
 to take place, how very valuable these thirteen 
 acres of good-for- nothing land would become. 
 
 Mr. O'More eagerly adopted his attorney's 
 view, and immediately wrote to Lord Courtown, 
 for, latterly, Xorah was the only one of the 
 family tolerated at Courtown Castle. His lord- 
 ship replied courteously that the land he had en- 
 closed belonged to the Courtown property, and
 
 12 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 that the worthy attorney was mistaken. One 
 letter followed another, till the matter came into 
 the hands of the big-wigs ; and finally, after long 
 litigation and expenses, and when the lawyers 
 became satisfied with the picking, the thirteen 
 acres of bog were adjudged to be the property of 
 Mr. O'More, who, with all his family, excepting 
 Norah, enjoyed a great triumph ; Mrs. O'More 
 giving a grand dinner i)arty on the occasion of 
 her husband's having thirteen acres of swamp 
 added to his domain. This event completely 
 severed the intimacy, little as it had been, be- 
 tween Lord Courtown and the O' Mores. 
 
 Amongst the visitors at Ashgrove Mansion was 
 a Gralway lady — a Miss Blake. She Iiad reached 
 the reasonable age of thirty- two, and was still a 
 spinster, though possessing an independent in- 
 come of four hundred a-year, left her by an aunt, 
 to whom she had devoted her youthful days. 
 Miss Blake was handsome, agreeable, lemarkably 
 cheerfid, and kind hearted ; she had many ad- 
 mirers ; amongst them Mr. Hamilton, whom Mrs.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 13 
 
 O'More reckoned had the best chance of suc- 
 cess, but this self-sufficient gentleman was mis- 
 taken. 
 
 Miss Blake was exceedingly fond of Norah, 
 who often spent days with her at her handsome 
 residence in Galway. 
 
 About three months after the termination of 
 the bog law-suit, one rather stormy day, a gen- 
 tleman, named Lynch, came nninvited to join the 
 family party of the O'Mores, assembled in the 
 drawing-room. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Lynch," said Mrs. O'More, " we 
 must be very grateful to you for this visit, seeing 
 you have had such stormy weather, to come and 
 cheer our loneliness." 
 
 " I have such a strange piece of news to tell," 
 said Mr. Lynch, " that I never heeded the wea- 
 ther;" and he looked at Mr. Hamilton with a 
 meaning expression — for be it known these two 
 gentlemen were rivals for the hand of Miss 
 Euphemia Blake. 
 
 " Do let us hear it, Mr. Lynch," said Mrs.
 
 14 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 O'More, languidly, '' for we have been very dull 
 the last few days; the weather has been dreadful." 
 
 " Well, then^ ladies and gentlemen," said Mr. 
 Lynch, rubbing the palms of his hands, as if the 
 intelligence he had to impart gave him pleasure, 
 " Miss Euphemia Blake was married this morn- 
 ing at the Roman Catholic Chapel of ." 
 
 "Married!" exclaimed almost every one pre- 
 sent, with a tone of surprise, whilst Mr. Hamil- 
 ton, colouring to the temples, muttered, " mar- 
 ried ! the devil!" 
 
 " Not exactly," returned Mr. Lynch, with a 
 laugh, as he perceived that his rival was bitterly 
 annoyed ; for only a fortnight before he had 
 boasted before Mr. Lynch, at a club-room in 
 Galway, that his success was certain in a certain 
 quarter. 
 
 '^ And pray who has the young lady married ?' 
 said jSIr. O'More, with a sneer and a marked 
 emphasis on the word young; whilst Norah, 
 amazed but silent, kept her speaking eyes fixed 
 on Mr. Lynch.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 15 
 
 " All, there's the rub," said Mr. Lynch. " Can 
 no one make a guess ?" 
 
 " Some scheming- adventurer, no doubt," said 
 Mr. O'More, who disliked Miss Blake exceed- 
 ingly. 
 
 ^' Why not exactly," returned Mr. Lynch, 
 *' seeing that she is now mistress of Courtown, 
 his lordship having gallantly led her to the altar 
 this mornino'." 
 
 Had a thunderbolt fallen into the room, it 
 would scarcely have produced a greater effect. 
 
 Mrs. O'More sank back in her chair, with a 
 strange exclamation. I\L'. O'More uttered a 
 curse, and looked pale with passion. Norali, her 
 face flushed with excitement, started to her feet, 
 her little hands clasped, and her eyes sparkling 
 with delight. 
 
 " Dear Euphemia, Lady Courtown ! oh, how 
 glad I am ! She will be sure to make his lordship 
 happy," and heedless of the looks of rage her 
 uncle and father cast upon her, she hurried out 
 of the room.
 
 16 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Mr. O'More, when conviuced of tlie fact, be- 
 came overpowered with rage, vexation, and fear, 
 for should a male heir be born adieu to the title 
 and estates of Courtown. Mr. Hamilton was 
 savage, he swore that his lordship was a madman, 
 and Miss Blake no better tlian she should be. 
 Mrs. O'More trembled as the vision of Lady 
 Courtown rose before her, nursing a fine boy, the 
 future heir. 
 
 Twelve months passed over, and an heir was 
 born to the Courtown estates. The exasperation 
 of Mr. O'More and his family, excepting Norah, 
 became painful to witness. 
 
 To be out of the way for a time, Mr. O'More 
 and family set out to spend the spring in Dabliu, 
 leaving only Norah, her little brother, and her 
 governess, and two or three servants at Ashgrove. 
 Many would suppose that Norah would have felt 
 vexed at not being of the party to Dublin, to 
 enjoy the gaieties of the capital ; on the contrary 
 she rejoiced at not being obliged to leave her 
 home. From her bed-room w^indow she loved, at
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. ' 17 
 
 early morn, to look out over the glorious spark- 
 ling waters of Lougli Corrib, glittering in the 
 morning smi. She was a devoted lover of the 
 country, and admired nature as it was, all smiling, 
 verdant, and beautiful around her. 
 
 One lovely May morning she rose very early, 
 and attired herself in her riding habit, with her 
 Spanish hat and feathers. Galway has always 
 retained in its aspect and manners a remnant of 
 its Spanish founders. Norah had ordered her 
 jennet, and an old staid groom to attend upon 
 her the night before, having c^ctermined to spend 
 the day with Lady Courtown, and enjoy a long 
 nursing of the baby. 
 
 To her surprise she encountered her governess 
 coming out of her room. 
 
 " Pray, Miss Norah, where can you be going 
 so early in the morning?" asked Mrs. Marsham, 
 " To Courtown Castle, Mrs. Marsham," replied 
 Norah, " to see the dear baby." 
 
 " You might have requested my permission," 
 returned the governess ; " besides, after Miss 
 Blake's shameful and indecent — "
 
 18 • OUK BLUE JACKETS 
 
 Norali broke out into a merry laugh. 
 
 " Shameful and indecent, to marry a good kind 
 hearted nobleman, with twenty-five thousand a 
 year, and to make him as happy as the day is 
 long," she cried ; " really, my dear Mrs. 
 Marsham, you do not do justice to my kind 
 friend. I wish you could see what a happy 
 household her ladyship has created, and how 
 young his lordship has apparently grown ; if it 
 were not for an attack of gout now and then, he 
 would be positively juvenile," and so saying 
 Norah sprang lightly downstairs, mounted her 
 pony, and was off down the lane in a canter. 
 
 ''Well," exclaimed Mrs. Marsham, bitterly, 
 *' this is the consequence of allowing this saucy, 
 independent girl to have her own way. I cannot 
 imderstand it ; she goes like a wild Indian 
 galloping across the country, takes a hedge, a 
 ditch, or indeed a gate, as if there was no such 
 obstacle before her. Well, we shall see, some of 
 these days, the upshot of it."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 19 
 
 CHA.PTER II. 
 
 "Whilst Norali is cantering along the shore of 
 Lough Corrib, on her way to Courtown Castle, we 
 will briefly explain how Miss Blake became Lady 
 Courtown. 
 
 Though exceedingly eccentric in his habits and 
 ideas Lord Courtown was far from being either a 
 disagreeable or unpleasant companion. He was 
 as open-hearted and kind as a nobleman in his 
 position could possibly be, and all his tenants 
 and dependants were quite happy and contented 
 under his rule. 
 
 His lordship never liked Mr. Gorman O'More 
 or his lady, whilst Mr. Hamilton was his aversion ; 
 though differing in religion and opinions with
 
 20 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 the late Roderick O'More, he had admh-ed and 
 esteemed his honourable character and spirit, and 
 was contented that either Roderick O'More or 
 his son should succeed to the titles and estates of 
 Courtown. But he was disgusted that his 
 ancient title should descend to such a man as 
 Gorman O'More, or to such a scapegrace as his 
 son, of whose pranks in college he frequently 
 heard. 
 
 Lord Courtown was exceedingly quick in his 
 decisions ; and very shortly after the affair of 
 the thirteen acres he came to the resolution, 
 though in his sixty-first year, of taking a wife; 
 and, if Providence spared him, it was quite pos- 
 sible he might have an heir direct, to inherit his 
 titles and fortune. 
 
 "But where shall I get a wife?" was the 
 question his lordship asked himself. Courtship 
 was out of the question. Not that Lord Courtown 
 was at all an infirm or inactive individual ; on 
 the contrary, he was a fine, stately-looking gen- 
 tleman, and, except when laid up by an attack of
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 21 
 
 gout, enjoyed the sports of the field with con- 
 siderable spirit. In his early youth he had 
 travelled much over the Continent of Europe, 
 and purchased, in foreign lands many valuable 
 pictures, statues, and other articles of vertu. On 
 his return to Ireland he commenced making ad- 
 ditional rooms to his already magnificent mansion, 
 but never finished them ; and many of the trea- 
 sures of art, purchased at a vast outlay, actually 
 lay in the storerooms of the castle unpacked. 
 
 Having resolved to take a wife, his lordship 
 sat, one morning after breakfast, revolving over 
 in his mind all the beauties he had known durino; 
 the last twenty years. " Ah ! " muttered his 
 lordship, " they won't do ; — Stay, I have her," 
 and he sprang from his chair, rang for his valet, 
 and ordered his chariot to bo ready in an 
 hour. 
 
 " Yes," soliloquized his lordship, " she will 
 suit me every way. She is youug enough, and 
 not so young as to be ridiculous. She is good 
 humoured, agreeable, and of good family ; besides,
 
 22 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 that puppy, Hamilton, thinks lie is secure of her 
 fortune, for that's all he cares for. Better to 
 marry an old lord, with twenty-five thousand a- 
 year rent-roll, than a young puppy. Young — 
 no ! he's not young, either, — thirty-eight or forty, 
 every year of it." 
 
 That same day, about three o'clock. Miss Blake 
 was surprised to see Lord Courtown's chariot 
 stop at her door. 
 
 Miss Blake had met his lordship several times 
 at Ashgrove ; but they were not on visiting 
 terms, for his lordship received no ladies at 
 Courtown Castle. Miss Blake was very self- 
 possessed; so, when his lordship was ushered 
 into the drawing-room, she received him most 
 courteously. 
 
 ''You are surprised, no doubt," said Lord 
 Courtown, taking a chair, and seating himself 
 quite close to the lady of the house, " at this, to 
 you, unexpected visit?" 
 
 Euphemia felt her heart flutter ; for, in fact, 
 Miss Blake had a spice of ambition in her nature.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. .23 
 
 '' I was thinking," continued his lordship, 
 ^' that when I explain the object of my visit you 
 will consider me, not an eccentric man, for you 
 know that already, but, perhaps, take me for a 
 lunatic." 
 
 ''Indeed, my lord," said Miss Blake, "I 
 should be exceedingly sorry to entertain any such 
 idea." 
 
 "Well, then;" again resumed his lordship, 
 '' the fact is, I wish to get married ! " 
 
 Miss Blake had no fan with which to screen 
 her cheeks, which became crimsoned ; but she 
 stammered out, — 
 
 " Oh, my lord ! had you not better consult — " 
 
 " No," interrupted his lordship, with a smile, 
 and really beginning to think Euphemia uncom- 
 monly handsome. *' I shall only consult you ; 
 and as I am always brief and decided in my re- 
 solutions, if you are willing to accept the hand of 
 a man old enough to be your father, but who 
 possesses a rent-roll of twenty-five thousand 
 a-year, and who can grace your fair brow
 
 24 GUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 with a coronet, there's my hand," and his lord- 
 ship held out his very white, aristocratic fingers, 
 but little the worse for the wear and tear of 
 sixty odd years. 
 
 Miss Blake was at first confounded ; but, being 
 a sensible woman, she made up her mind at once, 
 and, though her voice faltered a little, and the 
 roses on her cheek became yet more full-blown, 
 she placed a very fair, plump hand in his lord- 
 ship's, saying, — " Yours is a frank, generous 
 offer, my lord, and I accept it as frankly, trusting 
 that our mutual happiness may be secured thereby. 
 Though, in truth," she added, with a smile, and 
 a most engaging expression of countenance, 
 " the wooiog is over short." 
 
 " You are a woman of sense," said his lord- 
 ship, very gallantly kissing the hand he held, 
 " and you shall be Lady Courtown before forty- 
 eight hours are over, God willing ; and if Provi- 
 dence grants us an heir (Miss Blake here required 
 the fan in earnest), Mr. O'More will have little 
 cause to congratulate himself on the acquisition
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 25 
 
 of thirteen acres of bog." And thus Miss 
 Euphemia Blake became Countess of Courtown. 
 
 Lord Courtown had every reason to congratu- 
 late himself on his choice ; instead of being put 
 out of his eccentric habits and ways, Lady 
 Courtown set herself to work, diligently, to make 
 him happy. She felt happy herself; and all un- 
 der her rule felt the presence of a kind mistress 
 conducive to their domestic comforts. When 
 the heir of Courtown was born, an event which 
 rendered his lordship almost insane with joy, no 
 effort on his part was spared to show his love and 
 esteem for her who rendered his before solitary 
 life one of utility and happiness. 
 
 On the morning on which Norali left Ashgrove, 
 Lord Courtown and his lady were breakfasting in 
 the blue drawing-room. His lordship was suffer- 
 ing from an attack of his old enemy the gout; it 
 was slight, however, and no way ruffled his tem- 
 per. 
 
 The blue drawing-room was a favourite resort. 
 It overlooked two branches of the lake, with its 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 26 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 numerous little, but beautiful islets. It was 
 tben early May ; but the season was very favour- 
 able and advanced, — the fields looked green and 
 bright under a sparkling sun ; even Benlevy was 
 without the shadow of a cloud. 
 
 "What has become of Norah?" observed 
 Lord Courtown, helping himself to some fine 
 Lough Corrib trout ; " perhaps the O'Mores are 
 come back?" 
 
 " No," said her ladyship ; " I heard this 
 morning that they were still in Dublin. Young- 
 Gorman has got them into some trouble, my cor- 
 respondent says, — parading the streets, with other 
 wild youths, in the National guard uniform." 
 
 " He's a fool or a madman," returned Lord 
 Courtown, " and will bring himself and father 
 into trouble with the government. Two years ago 
 O'More urged me to let myself be appointed one 
 of the delegates ; but I was not so easily led to 
 make a fool of myself. Afterwards they were 
 named the Popish Congress ; and as they always 
 met in a place called Taylor's Hall, in Back
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 27 
 
 Lane, they got the nick-name of the Back Lane 
 Parliament." 
 
 '' You were quite right in having nothing to do 
 with such unlawful meetings," observed Lady 
 Courtown. 
 
 '•' By-the-bye, Euphemia/' said his lordship, 
 '' I had a curious dream last night." 
 
 " You appeared disturbed in your sleep," re- 
 marked Lady Courtown. " I thought you were 
 suffering from night- mare, and awoke you." 
 
 " Faith ! I was very much obliged to you, my 
 dear ; for though I place not the slightest faith 
 in dreams, yet I was, in my sleep, much dis- 
 turbed." 
 
 '' But what was the dream ?" enquired her 
 ladyship, with some little show of curiosity. 
 
 " You shall hear, my dear. I tliought I had 
 come out from Trinity College, and got en- 
 tangled in an immense and furious crowd, armed 
 with pikes, and waving green standards, and 
 shouting, ' Down with King William.' I was 
 carried on by the living mass into College Green, 
 
 2
 
 28 OUK BLUE JACKETS 
 
 and forced up to where the statue of King 
 William stands. I raised my eyes, and instead 
 of King William, my gaze rested upon 
 the well-remembered and noble features of 
 Roderick O'More. He was wavino^ a hu^-e 
 Orange standard, and the armed crowd 
 yelled, 'Tear him down! — Pull him off I' — 
 " Roderick O'More looked down, and his e}' es 
 met mine, ' Ha, my Lord Courtown,' he ex- 
 claimed; — positively, Euphemia, I saw all this 
 as vividly as I see yon, and heard the words dis- 
 tinctly. * Ha, my Lord Courtown, you here ? 
 Remember, the time is coming, when this flag will 
 triumph over the green, and when it comes, 
 a Roderick O'More will own the broad lands of 
 his fathers.' 
 
 " I heard no more, for yells, screams, and 
 peals of musketry rang through the air ; I was 
 thrown down, had a pike within an inch of my 
 throat, when I seized the villain, and was struggling 
 for life, when you awoke me. Now, was not that a 
 strange dream, Euphemia ?"
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 29 
 
 "You must have had a very severe fit of in- 
 digestion," replied her ladyship, rather seriously; 
 " but it is wonderful how our uncontrolled 
 thoughts ramble, and picture subjects and scenes 
 foreign to our waking thoughts." 
 
 '' Well, so they do, Euphemia ; but neverthe- 
 less, all day yesterday I was thinking a good deal 
 about my old friend Roderick, and his poor boy. 
 Do you know I am not half satisfied with my- 
 self" 
 
 "There was something sad and mysterious in 
 Roderick's fate," said Lady Courtown, " the loss 
 of his lovely wife, for his wife she was, though 
 the law says rather late for the fortunes of her 
 first-born. I often thought, wlien I first saw 
 her — I was xerj young then — I could almost have 
 worshipped such an angelic countenance." 
 
 " By Jove !" interrupted his lordship, " I will 
 never believe that she was ever anything else but 
 his wife, from the very beginning. It's not likely 
 a man of so noble a nature, and so true-hearted 
 as Roderick O'More, could mar his child's pros-
 
 30 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 pects for life by a tardy marriage. No^ there is a 
 profound mystery attached to the story of his early 
 career. Where I blame myself is, in my supine- 
 iiess in not taking charge of the poor child." 
 
 " Why, the O'Mores took the child away im- 
 mediately," said Lady Courtown. 
 
 "Mr. Crcagh knows more than anyone else on 
 the suhject, and I have often heard him say that 
 his firm belief was that Roderick O'More was 
 married abroad, and being baffled in getting 
 proofs of his marriage, he married a second 
 time, to secure the rights of any future progeny : 
 that he felt sure of recovering the proofs 
 required to legitimize his first-born ; that his 
 will was made immediately after his child was 
 born, and that a full history of his life was written 
 out. Now, neither will nor record was found by 
 Mr. Gorman O'More amongst the papers and 
 deeds, carefully locked up in chests, and sealed 
 with Roderick O'More's seal. 
 
 " It's all very strange," contmued his lorcLship, 
 thoughtfully, "situated as I now am with the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 31 
 
 O'More family, I have no right to interfere. I 
 remember to have heard that Roderick O'More 
 met with some strange adventures in Spain; and, 
 I believed, saved the life of one of the members of 
 the reigning family, and was presented with some 
 high lionorary order." 
 
 " I protest," said Lady Courtown, who just 
 then gazed out of the window, " there is Norah 
 cominfT up the avenue from the lake ; she must 
 have left Ashgrove before breakfast." 
 
 " Well, I am rejoiced," said Lord Courtown, 
 putting away his plate, "that the dear girl is 
 just in time to join us. Ring the bell, Euphemia, 
 pray excuse my unfortunate foot, and let another 
 dish of trout, of which she is very fond, be brought 
 up." 
 
 In a few minutes the door was thrown open, 
 and Norah entered with a quick, light step; her 
 beautiful, interesting, though still child-like 
 features, flushed with health and the exercise she 
 had just taken. Her dark eyes were sparkling 
 with animation, and after fondly kissing Lady
 
 32 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Courtown, she performed tlie same ceremony on 
 his lordship, saying, with her merrj smile, ''Ah, 
 my dear godfather, I see the enemy is in the field," 
 looking at his bandaged leg — ''not a bad attack, 
 I should say, to judge by your looks." 
 
 "JSTo, my dear girl- a very lenient one, I am 
 thankful to say. You have not breakfasted?" 
 
 " No, indeed," said Norah, throwing aside her 
 hat ; "but I assure you lam uncommonly inclined 
 to make a famous one now." 
 
 *' Your papa and mamma not home yet, I sup- 
 pose, judging by a letter I received/' said Lady 
 Courtown, helping her favourite to some of the 
 delicacies before them, not forgetting the Lough 
 Corrib trout, just then placed upon the table. 
 
 " No, indeed," returned Norah. '' What fine 
 trout you catch in this part of the lake ; we do 
 not get them anything like so good. Do you 
 know in a few days we shall have the house full 
 of Dublin folks ?" 
 
 " Who are they, Norah?" enquired his lordship. 
 
 " Oh, the Darcys, and some mad companions
 
 AFLOAT AiSID ASHORE. 33 
 
 of my brother Gorman, from college ; coming to 
 fish the lake. 
 
 ^' I think you must let me come and stay with 
 you, my lord ; I do not fancy those wild collegians ; 
 I will, in return for my board," she added, laugh- 
 ing, '' nurse the baby all day, and amuse you 
 with such wonderful stories, as shall drive away 
 the gout in a few hours." 
 
 " That's a bargain, Norali," replied his lord- 
 ship. " Those college boys are mad, and so is 
 your brother ; you will be better here." 
 
 "Now tell me," saidNorah, finishing the trout, 
 and turning to Lady Courtown, "how is the 
 dear baby ? I can only promise myself half-a-day's 
 nursing, for I must be back to-night." 
 
 " Oh, ho is thriving charmingly," returned the 
 mother; "a little uneasy just now— cutting his 
 teeth." 
 
 "It is very provoking," observed Lord Cour- 
 town, with a smile, " that there are two periods 
 of our lives that our teeth particularly trouble us, 
 
 c 5
 
 34 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 when we are, as mothers say, cutting our teeth j 
 and when they are cutting us." 
 
 Norah laughed, thereby displaying two rows 
 like polished ivory. 
 
 "I heiir," said Lady Courtown, ''that the 
 Eev. Mr. Creagh intends paying you a visit." 
 
 '^ How did vou hoar that ?" asked Norah ; " do 
 you think the dear old man wishes to convert 
 me?" 
 
 '•' I should be more afraid of a dear young man 
 doing so," returned his lordship, with a smile. 
 
 "Time enough for that in ten years, my lord," 
 answered the laughing girl. " But I shall rejoice 
 to see Mr Creagh. My father does not visit him, 
 which I deeply regret, for his family are so pleas- 
 ing and so amiable." 
 
 ''At all events," returned Lord Courtown, "he 
 says you are a sweet, affectionate girl, and he 
 should really like to make a little heretic of you." 
 
 " Ah ! Father Mahoney," said Norah, with a 
 very demure expression of countenance, "would
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 35 
 
 not like to see one of his flock tempted, though, 
 indeed, I had a little fracas with the worthy- 
 priest, the other day. Says he, trying to look 
 grave, which does not become his jovial face, — 
 ' Miss Norah, you really must come to confession, 
 you are fifteen, audit's full time.' 
 
 '"" ' But, indeed, father,' 1 replied, ' I have 
 nothing to confess as yet.' 
 
 '" Ho ! ho !' said the priest, his little eyes 
 buried in fat, twinkling, ' so you think you will 
 bye-and-bye.' 
 
 " ' Dear me,' said I, ' what would become of all 
 you priests if we were all saints ?" 
 
 " Norah ! Norah !" cried Lord Courtown, laugh- 
 ing ; " you are a mad-cap ; you are half a heretic 
 alread3\ I think a Protestant lover would finally 
 convert you."' 
 
 " Ah, well, if he does, my lord, it will be his 
 fault ; he will have to answer for abusing his 
 powers of persuasion." 
 
 " "What will you do if Father Mahoncy imposes 
 penances upon you for keeping from confession r"
 
 36 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 ^' I will send him a hauncli of venison and 
 some turtle ; and depend on it my penance will 
 be very liglit. Now, dear Lady Conrtown, let 
 me see and have the baby all to myself." 
 
 Lady Conrtown induced our heroine to remain 
 that night, and Norah thus spent a most delight- 
 ful day and evening. 
 
 The weather in Galway is like life's changes. 
 The next day, dark clouds sailed over the rufBed 
 lake, casting shadows on the mimic seas, and at 
 times, the loud blast from the south-west drove 
 heavy showers of rain against the castle windows. 
 It was not decidedly wet, for between the squalls, 
 which tore up the surface of the lake, the sun 
 would break out, and for a time, the waters looked 
 bright, though storm -tossed. 
 
 Norah, who cared very little about a moderate 
 ducking, had her jennet brought out for her re- 
 turn to Ashgrove, notwithstanding all Lord and 
 Lady Courtowa could say ; his lordship wishing 
 to send her home in his carriage. But Norah 
 laughed heartily at the idea of hesitating to
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 37 
 
 canter over a fine' road nine miles, whether it 
 rained or blew. 
 
 " It can only damp my habit, not my spirits," 
 she said, as she sprung npon her spirited 
 favourite, who pawed the ground impatient to 
 be off. So, kissing her hand to his lordship, who 
 watched her at the window, she departed, pro- 
 mising Lady Courtown to come over the day 
 after her brother and his rollicking companions 
 arrived. 
 
 She rode the first six miles, followed closely by 
 her staid groom, before a drop of rain fell, 
 though the sky over the lake became appallingly 
 black, and the storm of wind lulled as if by 
 magic* 
 
 Norah checked her speed, struck by the sud- 
 den silence of the storm, the stillness only 
 broken by the noise of the mimic swell, as it 
 ran up the pebbly shore of the lake. She looked 
 up — the sky appeared fearful : it had collected 
 into a thunder storm. 
 
 " You had better take shelter at McFarlane's,
 
 38 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Miss Norah ; it's quite close, for there's a ter- 
 rible storm coming, and the young horse I'm 
 breaking will bolt." 
 
 ''It's only three miles," said Norah ; "ten 
 minutes will take us home." 
 
 She remembered, at the moment, that her 
 father had sternly forbid her entering the neat 
 and orderly farm house of Mr. McFarlane. She 
 therefore gave the reins to her pony, and galloped 
 on ; but the next moment, just as they were 
 passing McFarlane's gate, the sky opened, and a 
 sheet of electric fluid issued, blinding in its 
 dazzling brightness, followed instantly by a peal 
 of thunder, like no earthly sound that man ever 
 heard from the most powerful artillery. 
 
 Norah, with great coolness, mastered her 
 jennet's terror ; but a cry from the groom caused 
 her to wlieel round, when with an exclamation 
 of sorrow, she beheld her groom fall heavily to 
 the ground, the young horse he rode, rearing 
 madly with fear, over-balanced himself and fell, 
 but the next moment rose again, and tossing its
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 39 
 
 head wildly in the air, darted off at a furious 
 gallop. This, and the repeated flashes of light- 
 niugj so completel}^ terrified her jennet, that it 
 would, despite Norah's efforts, have gone off also 
 wild with fear ; had not a young man, in a plain 
 sailor's attire, rushed through McFarlane's gate, 
 seized the bridle in his powerful grasp, and 
 throwing his arms round Norah, lifted her like a 
 child from the saddle. 
 
 "Thank you! thank you!" said the young 
 girl, agitated ; ^' but now 1 pray you lift up poor 
 James Tummins ; I fear he is dangerously 
 hurt. You may let my jennet go ; now her fear 
 is over, she will not quitnue." 
 
 So saying, she ran on to where the groom was 
 making a weak effort to rise. The young sailor 
 let the bridle go, and true enough, with an im- 
 patient neigh, the pony walked after her mistress. 
 A young woman, neatly attired, and looking pale 
 and startled, came out from the farm-house, and 
 ran tov.ards the young man and Miss O'AIore.
 
 40 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " Oil ! James ; I am so afraid you are greatly- 
 hurt," cried Norab, as tlie young man lifted the 
 old groom up and placed him on a bank. The 
 thunder was rolling away in the distance, but a 
 deluge of rain was threatening to fall. 
 
 " No, miss," said the groom, " thanks to the 
 blessed saints ! I'm only shook. If this young — ' 
 and as he spoke, he looked up into the stranger's 
 face, and hesitated. 
 
 '' Oh ! I will carry you," said the sailor, who 
 looked well able to do so, " and think nothing 
 of it ;" and he lifted the groom in his young, 
 powerful arms, and walked on with him towards 
 the farm-house, followctl by Norah, who gazed 
 at the young man with exceeding surprise. Just 
 then she was joined by Bessy McFarlane. 
 
 '' Oh, Miss Norah, make haste into the house ; 
 the rain is falling like a deluge on the lake." 
 
 Norah knew Bessy very well, and admired her 
 greatly, and sometimes spoke to her coming out 
 of chapel; though she so far obeyed her fai,her
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 41 
 
 in not entering her father's house. As the young 
 woman spoke, heavy drops of rain began to fall, 
 and Norah, as she hurried along, said, 
 
 ''I will accej)t your hospitality, Bessy: es- 
 pecially for poor James, who, I fear, is more 
 hurt than he likes to own. Is that young man 
 your brother Phelim ?" 
 
 " No, miss," said Bessy, as they ran in through 
 the gate, the rain coming down in torrents, " he's 
 a comrade of Phelim's." 
 
 Mrs. McFarlane met them at the door, whilst 
 one of the farm men ran and took the pony into 
 the stable. 
 
 " Oh, dear. Miss Norah,'"' exclaimed the comely 
 Mrs. McFarlane, " how lucky it was you got as 
 far as this before the terrible storm broke." 
 
 *' Yes," said Korah. "Very fortunate; but I 
 am uneasy about James," and she followed Mrs. 
 McFarlane into the kitchen. 
 
 The young sailor had placed the groom upon a 
 settle, and Mr. McFarlane was offering him a 
 stiff glass of hot whisky and water, a general
 
 42 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 cure for all complaints, from the tootliaclie to the 
 headache, in Ireland, and we confess it is some- 
 times very efficacious in the latter disease. 
 
 " Don't be vexed. Miss Norah/' said the groom, 
 Bwallowing the mixture ; " faix, 1 had a bad fall, 
 but no bones broken, thanks to the Virgin ; but 
 the beast is gone off to the house, and will 
 frighten the people about yourself, miss." 
 
 " Never mind that, James ; thank God you 
 are so little injured ;" and then turning round, 
 she let her eyes rest upon the striking features 
 of the young sailor, who was standing leaning 
 against the settle, with his bright dark orbs 
 fixed upon her, with a singuiarly strange expres- 
 sion ; Norah started, and her clieeks flushed — 
 why she could not tell — as she said, 
 
 " I have to thank you, sir, for your ready as- 
 sistance ; indeed, but for your prompt seizing of 
 my naughty favourite, I should have been thrown 
 perhaps." 
 
 " You are too good a horsewoman to be thrown, 
 Miss O'More," said the young man, in a low
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 43 
 
 tone; " but I may have prevented your favourite 
 from over-exerting itself." 
 
 "You have my gratitude for that, at all 
 events," returned the young girl, thoughtfully, 
 as with another look at the stranger, she followed 
 Bessy McFarlane into a small but neat parlour 
 off the kitchen. There were some books upon a 
 shelf, various pictures of saints, and one or two 
 famous racers, as a set-off against the gaudily 
 coloured vestments of the saints. 
 
 " How it does pour, Bessy," observed Norah, 
 as she sat down and made the young woman seat 
 herself beside her. 
 
 "Now, Bessy, I have never gone to confession 
 myself; but I must try and get you to confess. 
 Who is the young man in the kitchen ; for a 
 sailor he is not?" 
 
 " Indeed — indeed, Miss Norah, you are wrong," 
 answered Bessy, quite calmly ; " he is a sailor, 
 and brought me such a long letter from my 
 brother Plielim, who is now on board the Terpsi- 
 chore, in Plymouth harbour. The young man
 
 44 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 and Plielim are in the same ship, and they were 
 in France together."" 
 
 Bessy spoke quite naturally, and looked so 
 unconcerned, that Norah was satisfied. 
 
 " Well, Bessy, I have not seen many sailois, 
 and certainly never conversed with one but your 
 friend, or sweetheart." 
 
 Bessy laughed, saying, " Law, Miss Norah, he 
 is seven or eight years younger than I am ; bless 
 nie, he's quite a youth ; he says only nineteen, 
 and I'm full seven and twenty." 
 
 ^' Dear me,'' said Norah, " only nineteen ! 
 AVhat a very powerful young man ; I was parti- 
 cularly struck with his voice. I shall not easily 
 forget its remarkable tone. I may say to you, 
 Bessy, I think he has one of the handsomest faces 
 I ever saw." 
 
 ''les, he's very good looking, indeed; and 
 very kind and nice in his talk ; he goes back to 
 his ship in a couple of days." 
 
 " What's his name, Bessy?" asked Norah, fixing 
 her expressive eyes on those of the young woman.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 45 
 
 " His name," said Bessy, her colour suddenly 
 increasing. ''Oh, Patrick Rooney." 
 
 " Patrick Rooney," returned Norah, a smile 
 stealing over her sweet face. " Well, I see after 
 all, Bessy, I have not Father Mahoney's power of 
 persuasion ; but, tell me, how long has your 
 brother been on board a man-of-war ?" 
 
 " Oh ! a long time, miss. He is two or three 
 years younger than I am ; he went to sea with 
 Master Roderick Magnus O'More." 
 
 " Roderick Magnus O'More !" repeated Norah, 
 with a start. " Who is this O'More ? I never 
 heard any of the family having that name but 
 my father's brother, who was so lamentably 
 killed by a fall from his horse.'" 
 
 *' Dear me. Miss Norah ! I'm speaking of your 
 uncle's son." 
 
 A bright colour rushed over Norah's cheek and 
 temples as she slowly repeated, " my uncle's 
 son !" 
 
 " Did you never hear, miss, of that beautiful 
 boy?" asked Bessy McFarlane, her voice a little
 
 46 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 tremulous ; '' left fatherless and motberlesSj and 
 — saints in glory !— friendless also. No, no, not 
 friendless, neither ; one humble heart loved him 
 better than life, and clung to him, Miss Norah, 
 through storm and tempest, as the ivy clings to 
 the oak. Oh, Miss Norah, darling, you are not 
 angry ;" and the kind-hearted Irish girl laid her 
 warm hand on our young heroine's fair taper 
 fingers, 
 
 "Angry!" said Novah, looking up and press- 
 ing Bessy's hand, her own face pale from painful 
 thoughts. '' No, no, — far from it. I know but 
 little, very little, of my poor uncle's life. I was 
 told there was a young boy — who — who — " she 
 hesitated, " who had no claims on any one." 
 
 " Ah ! saints in glory !" exclaimed Bessy, 
 clasping her hands. " No claims ! wasn't he 
 the great O'More's son ? Didn't his beautiful 
 mother — more like a saint in heaven than mortal 
 —didn't she—" 
 
 Just then the door opened, and Mrs. McFar- 
 lane entered ; and Bessy, down whose cheeks a
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE, 47 
 
 tear was falling, paused. Norali was exceedingly 
 agitated and pale. Mrs. MacFarlane did not, 
 however, notice their agitation. She merely 
 said, "your man, Miss Norah, is greatly re- 
 covered, but I think you had better leave him 
 here for some hours longer. I will send one of 
 my men with you — " 
 
 " Oh, no," interrupted Norah, " there is no 
 occasion. I will thank you, now the rain is over, 
 to let your man bring round my jennet. I shall 
 be home in ten minutes. I am so sflad. that 
 James has sustained no serious injury." 
 
 " They shall bring round the little mare di- 
 rectly, miss, for fear this lull of the rain may bo 
 only for a few minutes." 
 
 When Mrs. McFarlanc had left the room, 
 Norah said, taking Bessy's hand, '' You and I 
 must meet again ; I must hear more of this." 
 
 *' I shall be so happy, Miss Norah. I know 
 your papa would not like you to visit our poor 
 house, because he was offended that father would 
 not sell him this little farm, which he purchased
 
 48 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 of your noble uncle, who took care he should 
 never be deprived of it, except of his own free 
 will. Did you never, Miss Norah, see the grand 
 picture of your aunt in her bridal dress, for she 
 was married — " Bessy hesitated, and then boldly 
 said, "in Spain, before she came to Ireland; and 
 there's a picture of Master Magnus drawn, when 
 he was eight years old." 
 
 " Where are those pictures," said Norah, 
 greatly excited, and full of thought. 
 
 " They are in the left wing of Ashgrove, which 
 is shut up. I'm sure if you ask Mrs. Hillas, the 
 housekeeper, to shew them to you she will." 
 
 " I will ask her, Bessy ; and now, good-bye ; 
 there is my jennet;" and putting her arm round 
 the young woman's neck, she kissed her affec- 
 tionately, saying, " I will contrive to see you 
 again. But now, just whisper to me — who is the 
 young man you call Rooney? Corns, Bessy, be 
 candid ; I partly suspect." 
 
 " Well, then," returned the young woman, in 
 alow voice, '^he's your lawful cousin, Roderick
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 49 
 
 Magnus O'More, as sure as there is a saint in 
 glory !" 
 
 Norah bent down her head, but said not a word ; 
 her hand shook as she took up her riding whip, 
 and walked out through the door into the kitchen. 
 James was sitting before the fire — he wanted to 
 get up, but Norah laid her hand on his shoulder, 
 saying, •' Keep very quiet, James, and I will send 
 the car down for you." 
 
 " God bless your kind heart, miss," said the 
 old man, '^ I shall be quite able to go home. I 
 hope they have caught the horse." 
 
 "Oh ! he's sure to be caught," answered Norah; 
 and thanking Mr. and Mrs. McFarlane, she took 
 Bessy's arm and went outside the liouso. Hold- 
 ing the jennet, and caressing it, stood the young 
 sailor. Norahfelt exceedingly agitated and thought 
 as he stood with his hand upon the mane of the 
 spirited little steed — for the jennet was barely four- 
 teen hands high — 'Norah thought she never beheld 
 so commanding and noble a figure, — set off to ad- 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 50 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 vantage by his simple sailor's dress of fine dark 
 blue cloth. Conquering her emotion, she ap- 
 proached, and again thanking the young man for 
 the assistance he had rendered her, she accepted 
 his hand to place her in the saddle. She had 
 promised Bessy not to betray the secret she had 
 confided to her, so, with a heightened colour, 
 she took the reins, and letting her eyes rest for a 
 moment on his features she gracefully saluted 
 him, and then, at a quick pace, proceeded to- 
 wards Ashgrove. About half-a-mile on the road 
 she met two of the domestics. The run-away 
 horse had returned, and frightened the whole 
 household. 
 
 Korah rode slowly home ; her young heart had 
 received a shock. " Surely," said she to herself 
 "if what Bessy McFarlane says is true, my 
 father has no right to the lands he holds, — so 
 good and kind a nobleman as Lord Courtown 
 would never desert a child of my uncle's, if he 
 thought him entitled to his protection ; strange 
 that I should never have heard his name men-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 51 
 
 tioned by one of my family. I must believe 
 Bessy is mistaken." 
 
 Norali passed a restless niglit; Roderick Magnus 
 O'More liaunted her slumbers . After a long tiresome 
 lecture from her governess, which Norah listened 
 to in silence, the young girl took the opportunity 
 of Mrs. Marsham's going in the car to Galway, 
 to make some purchases, to seek ]\Irs. Hillas, 
 the housekeeper. 
 
 D 2 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 LIBRARY
 
 52 , OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 NoRAH proceeded to the housekeeper's room, 
 and found that important personage at that 
 moment unoccupied. 
 
 Norah was a great favourite with Mrs. Hillas, 
 who was a highly respectable and very kind- 
 hearted woman. 
 
 " Pray, my dear Mrs. Hillas," began Norah, 
 in her coaxing voice. " Pray what became of all 
 the fine old furniture and pictures that were 
 here, before papa new furnished the rooms ?" 
 
 '' Law, miss !" returned the housekeeper, 
 '* Sure your papa ordered them all to be taken 
 down from the walls, — the pictures of the family, 
 I mean, — and they and the fine old furniture were
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 53 
 
 all stowed away in the great rooms in the left 
 wiugj in fact they fill up two of the best rooms 
 in the house, and when we have company, we 
 often want them ; the mistress wished to have 
 them all sold, but your papa said he would prefer 
 burnino: them." 
 
 "How very strange!" said Norah, and she 
 looked very thoughtful. " Would you have any 
 objection, my dear Mrs. Hillas, to letting me 
 have a look at the pictures ?" 
 
 " Dear me, Miss Norah, I can see no harm in 
 letting you see them ; I was never desired not to 
 do so, and the family portraits are so beautiful. 
 There's your uncle and aunt's portrait, and that 
 of the poor unfortunate little boy. Poor child ! 
 it was not his fault, Miss Norah, that his father 
 married after his birth ; but it was a pity, — I 
 mean for him, miss, to be sure ; but what is to 
 be is to be." So saying Mrs. Hillas looked about 
 her store-room till she pounced upon a bunch of 
 keys. Furnished with these, she led the way to 
 the west wing.
 
 54 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 On reaching the door of the two apartments 
 which led one into the other, the housekeeper 
 unlocked the door, and entering the room, opened 
 the shutters of two of the windows facing the 
 portraits which were suspended against the wall ; 
 and, which, to Norah's surprise, were covered with 
 cloths. 
 
 " There's a lot of strange old things here, miss, 
 hut many are costly and beautiful, still ; though 
 your mother declares they are out of date and out 
 of fashion." 
 
 Norah bestowed little attention upon the many 
 articles in the room ; she waited till Mrs. Hillas 
 drew back the curtains from the pictures, their 
 frames heavily carved and elaborately gilded. 
 
 " I" will leave you, miss, to look at the pictures 
 at your leisure, as I have a little job to get 
 through. I often come in here and get the 
 pictures dusted and some of these things here 
 cleaned, — it goes to my heart to neglect them." 
 
 ''Thank you, Mrs. Hillas," said Norah. 
 " Your kindness in gratifying me, I shall not
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 55 
 
 forget. I will lock the door and bring you the 
 key as soon as I have examined the pictures." 
 
 " Oh, don't take that trouble, miss ; I will do 
 that by-and-bye, long before Mrs. Marsham 
 returns ;" so saying, she departed. 
 
 Norah remained, wrapt in admiration, gazing 
 upon the portrait of the Spanish wife of her uncle, 
 Roderick O'More. 
 
 " Oh ! how beautiful !" she exclaimed, half 
 aloud, " and how happily the artist must have 
 caught the fascinating touching expression of her 
 features. Those features," thought the young 
 girl, " never belonged to an adventuress, nor a 
 person of low birth." 
 
 Mrs. O'More, to Norah's eyes, did not appear 
 more than two or three and twenty ; her figure 
 magnificent, her attire evidently Spanish, and 
 no doubt a bridal dress ; and of a most costly 
 description. It was a full-length portrait, re- 
 presenting Mrs. O'More as standing near an 
 antique cabinet, with her hand resting on the lid 
 of a casket of jewels ; the position was graceful
 
 56 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 and unstudied. In the full dark eyes of her aunt, 
 Norah at once recognized a resemblance to the 
 young man she had seen at the farm. 
 
 From her aunt she turned with a sigh to her 
 uncle. " How grand ! majestic, and how hand- 
 some," she mentally exclaimed. " There is a 
 likeness to papa, but still, how unlike. How 
 melancholy, how truly sad that both should die 
 in the flower of their youth, and they so fond, and 
 with the prospect of a long life of hap2)iness 
 before them;" unconsciously she spoke the words 
 aloud, and so wrapt was her attention, that she 
 did not perceive that she was no longer alone. 
 
 " Such is life, my dear young lady," said a 
 mild, pleasing voice, " and the ways ofa just and 
 wise Providence must not be questioned." 
 
 Norah turned round, surprised, but the moment 
 her eyes rested on the venerable and pleasing 
 features of Mr. Creagh, the Protestant clergyman 
 of Ashtown, she advanced towards him, taking 
 the hand he held out to her, pressing it warmly 
 and aifectionately.
 
 AFLOAT A^D ASHOEE. 57 
 
 Mr. Creagli was in his seventietli year. His 
 congregation very small, there being but three 
 Protestant families in the vicinity, and amongst 
 the poor only a dozen ; but being a man of 
 independent means he managed to win the esteem 
 and respect of all parties, no matter what their 
 faith. He had been the bosom friend of the late 
 Roderick O'More ; he it was who married him to 
 his beautiful Spanish wife, for such he declared 
 she was, before they quitted Spain. 
 
 At the period of Mr. Roderick O'More's death, 
 Mr. Creagh was unfortunately in Batb, for the 
 benefit of his health, and on his return was 
 shocked to hear of his friend's untimely death 
 and the disappearance of his son. He at once 
 waited upon Mr. Gorman O'More, and requested 
 permission to have the care of his brother's 
 orphan child. He made no attempt to convince 
 Mr. O'More of the child's legitimacy ; as the 
 law had failed to prove it, he could furnish no 
 more tangible evidence, therefore he remained 
 silent on the subject. 
 
 D 5
 
 58 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 To his .request concerning the child, Mr. 
 O'More coldly replied, '' that it was more natural 
 that he should have the care of the boy ; that he 
 had done his duty and provided for his future 
 maintenance and tuition, and that he felt satisfied 
 he would he properly taken care of." 
 
 Mr. Creagh knew human nature well ; with 
 the workings of the heart he was well acquainted] 
 so after a few common-place observations he 
 retired, fully convinced in his own mind that the 
 unfortunate boy would not be done justice to, but 
 how to counteract his evil fortune he knew not. 
 
 Requesting pardon of our readers for this 
 digression, we return to Norah and Mr. Creagh. 
 
 " My dear sir," exclaimed our heroine, ^' you 
 must pardon me for being so absorbed. I really 
 did not hear your footsteps,— permit me to 
 accompany you to the drawing-room." 
 
 " Not yet, my dear child," replied Mr. Creagh. 
 '■'■ I came here for the express purpose of taking 
 •one last look on the portraits of those I loved so 
 well in life. Good Mrs. Hillas permitted me
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 59 
 
 this favour; tliough I know it is not strictly 
 correct to take advantage of your father's absence, 
 still, my heart was so Lent upon this visit that I 
 determined this morning to gratify my wish, and 
 Mrs. Hillas, who is a most excellent woman, came 
 with me to the entrance of the corridor, and told 
 me you were here." 
 
 " Oh, I am so happy," said Norah, as they 
 both advanced towards the pictures, "that your 
 kind heart will be gratified by again beholding 
 the likenesses of those whom you remember 
 with such affection." 
 
 The tears were in the old man's eyes, as they 
 rested on the features of Mrs. O'More. 
 
 " You think, no doubt. Miss Norah, that she 
 was very lovely, but her beauty was her least 
 attraction, — a purer, kinder heart never existed. 
 She died as a Christian should die, — resigned 
 and hoping. I was by her side to the last. She 
 became a Protestant from no persuasion of her 
 beloved husband, but from her own conviction."
 
 60 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 "Do you know who she was?" asked Norah, 
 timidly. 
 
 " I do, Miss Norah ; but excuse me, we must 
 not talk of family matters in the absence of your 
 parents. I may say, however, that she was a 
 lady of high rank in her native land. Now let 
 me look upon the noble features of my old and 
 beloved friend, — one whom I cherished as a boy, 
 and, alas ! was fated to outlive." 
 
 The old man gazed long and steadily upon the 
 portrait of Mr. O'More. Norah could see that 
 his eyes were dim with tears ; and that his hand, 
 as he raised it to wipe the tears away, trembled 
 Avith ao'itation. 
 
 "o' 
 
 Norah felt almost as much agitation, for hei' 
 heart told her that some foul wrong had been 
 done to those upon whose features she gazed. 
 She turned to look at the noble boy, and started ; 
 for the likeness to the young man in the sailor's 
 dress was most striking. 
 
 " He was a lovely child, and so singularly
 
 AFLOAT AKD ASHORE. 61 
 
 precocious," said Mr. Creagb ; " he tliought, at 
 nine years old, like a grown person. Come, 
 Miss Norah, this sight unmans me, I am doing 
 wrong," and turning hastily away, he walked 
 along the corridor, followed by the silent and ab- 
 stracted Norah. 
 
 For one so full of life and animal s^jirits asNorah 
 O'More, the next two days were passed in solitude, 
 and unusual thought. Aware that Magnus 
 O'More was at Mrs. McFarlane's, she refrained 
 from going there, though she longed to see 
 Bessy, to ask her a thousand questions. The 
 third day she received a letter from Dublin, and 
 so did Mrs. Hillas, announcing that the family 
 would returu at the end of the week, and would 
 briug several visitors, and desiring that every- 
 thing might be got ready for their reception. 
 
 Norah was annoyed ; she dreaded being obliged 
 to stay at home, for she felt certain she would 
 not get permission to absent herself at Courtown. 
 Walking along the bottom of the lawn in the 
 afternoon, she beheld Bessy McFarlane coming
 
 62 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 along the road that ran between the lawn and 
 the waters of the lake. Bessy had a basket on 
 lier arm, and, as she came nearer, ISTorah went to 
 a side-gate and met her. 
 
 " I am so glad to see yon, Bessy," said the 
 young girl. " I intended to have gone and paid 
 you a visit; but, you know — " and Norah 
 hesitated. 
 
 '' Oh, dear Miss Norah,'^ interrupted Bessy, 
 with a smile, " you might have come, for he's 
 gone to join his ship." 
 
 Norah coloured to the temples. " Gone ! " 
 she repeated. " Well, if that's the case, I will 
 walk with you towards your pretty farm. I have 
 a great many questions to ask you." 
 
 " Come to-morrow, at twelve. Miss Norah," 
 said Bessy. " Father and mother are going to 
 the fair in Galway, and then I shall have time to 
 talk to you. You're not offended I hope, miss, 
 at my freedom ?" 
 
 " No, Bessy ; it's the very thing I wished. So 
 good-bye now, for I see you are in a hurry ; to-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 63 
 
 morrow I will be with you by twelve o'clock. I 
 will walk, and then we shall have a long- 
 gossip." 
 
 " Very well, miss ; I shall be delighted to see 
 you. I certainly am in a bit of a hurry now, for 
 I am taking some things to a sick neighbour." 
 
 "Ah!" said Norah; "you mean, no doubt, 
 the wddow Brady, who is sick, and — poor thing — 
 so are two of her children. I sent over this 
 morning a basketful of things, and Mr. Creagh 
 said he would visit her, for she is one of his 
 flock." 
 
 " The saints bless you, Miss Norah ! You are 
 ever thoughtful and good. Good-bye till to- 
 morrow." 
 
 The next day Norah was punctual, and met 
 Bessy McFarlane at the gate. 
 
 " I would have w^alked to meet you, dear Miss 
 Norah," said the latter; "but there's not a soul 
 left about the place but myself." 
 
 " "VYe shall have all the time to ourselves, 
 then," returned Norah, fullowing Bessy into the
 
 64 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 neat, tidy parlour; the tabic covered with all 
 the little dainties of a well-managed farm and 
 household. " How delicious your cream cheeses 
 look ! My walk has given me such an appe- 
 tite." 
 
 Bessy looked pleased and happy at seeing her 
 guest sitting down, and enjoying her dainties. 
 In a short time our heroine and the comely Irish 
 girl became as intimate as if they had known 
 each other for years. 
 
 "Now, Bessy," said Miss O'More, "I must 
 tell you that my curiosity is greatly excited. I 
 have seen the portraits of ray ill-fated aunt and 
 uncle, and their much-to-be-pitied and truly un- 
 fortunate son. That dear old man, the Rev. Mr. 
 Creagh, was at Ashgrove, and he also looked at 
 the portraits, and ajopeared greatly distressed; 
 but, for many reasons, he declined speaking on 
 the subject, or dwelling on the past at all." 
 
 " Well, indeed, dear Miss Norab, perhaps I 
 ought not either to meddle with family 
 matters."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 65 
 
 " Oh, do not be afraid, Bessy," returned 
 Norali, anxiouslj'. " I will not ask indiscreet 
 •questions." 
 
 ^' Well, miss," returned Bessy, with a smile, 
 *' you shall be my confessor, and I will make a 
 •clean breast of it." 
 
 " First of all, then, Bessy, I want to know 
 how Magnus O'More became an officer in the 
 navy. Did my father place him in the 
 service ?" 
 
 " Bless me ! no. Miss Norah. He owes all the 
 kindness he has ever received to total strangers ; 
 and, afterwards, his promotion to his own gal- 
 lantry and courage." 
 
 " But how did he and your brother Phelim 
 become such fast friends, and be in the same 
 ship?" 
 
 '' I will tell you, miss. During Lientenant 
 Magnus O'More 's father's life, and when he was 
 a young boy, Phelim was his own special attend- 
 ant; and Phelim loved him with a devotion not 
 to be surpassed. After his father's death,
 
 66 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Master Magnus was put into a chaise by his 
 tutor, Mr. Hamilton, and carried away from 
 Ashgrove. Phelim resolved to follow the chaise 
 that bore him away. Well, miss, he was baffled 
 a long time ; but at last he found Master Magnus 
 shut up in a cabin, with an old woman called 
 Muggins. 
 
 .''They planned to escape, but were caught by 
 smugglers, who owned the cabin and caves under 
 it. They took the two boys to sea in their 
 smuggling cutter, which, in a great storm, was 
 dashed against a great French man-of-war ; and 
 only Master Magnus and Phelim, and the shipper 
 of the smuggler, whose name was Muggins, 
 were saved. 
 
 " On board this great French ship was a 
 Lieutenant O'Brien, an Irishman, but in the 
 French service. He took a great fancy to Master 
 Magnus, who told him his history; and, when 
 the ship returned to France, he took Master 
 Magnus and Phelim ashore with him. It was 
 peace then, miss ; and, after a time. Lieutenant
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 67 
 
 O'Brien met with a Captain Broomly, an English 
 officer, travelling in France, with an only son. 
 The good-hearted O'Brien interested Captain 
 Broomly about his little favourite, and this noble 
 Englishman promised to protect the deserted and 
 forlorn little orphan." 
 
 "May Grod bless his noble heart!" cried 
 Norah, greatly interested. '' Why, Bessy, your 
 story would make a romance." 
 
 " Faith, Miss Norah, I don't exactly know 
 what a romance is ; but my story is nothing to 
 the reality. So, miss. Captain Broomly took 
 Master Magnus and Phelim (who is five years 
 older than his master), to England. Being a 
 gentleman of large fortune and great humanity, 
 and his wife a most amiable and benevolent 
 lady. Master Magnus was sent to a great school 
 with their own son, and the two lads became 
 greatly attached to each other. Phelim was sent 
 home, with a promise that the moment Master 
 Magnus was old enough he was to be a midship- 
 man, and Phelim was to enter aboard the same
 
 68 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 ship. And so, to our great joy and wonder, for 
 we thought dear PheUm was lost for ever, he 
 came back. 
 
 'Tm not tiring you, miss, am I?" said Bessy 
 McFarlane, looking into Norah's expressive 
 features. 
 
 " No, no, Bessy," said Norah, seriously, for 
 her thoughts were very busy, and they were pain- 
 ful ones too. " I am deeply interested ; I am 
 anxious to know how the faithful Phelim joined 
 his mastei again." 
 
 *' Yes, Miss Norah, Phelim was faithful, his 
 heart and soul were with Master Magnus ; and 
 that he might not be an ignorant sailor when the 
 time came for him to enter aboard a man-of-war, 
 he went as a sailor boy aboard a schooner out of 
 Galway, and thus became, in time, an able sea- 
 man, aud then when Master Magnus was thirteen 
 years old, he joined the same ship, for Captain 
 Broomly wrote for him, and then the frigate they 
 were in, sailed round the world ; they were three 
 years away, and such adventures as they met,
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 69 
 
 taking pirates, and all kinds of perils they went 
 through ; and Master Magnus's daring courage as 
 a boy, astonished all. Well, miss, after six years' 
 service. Master Magnus was made lieutenant, for 
 his great skill and courage won him great praise 
 and Lord somebody — I forget his name — took 
 great interest in him, and he was soon presented 
 to a ship — the Thames was her name, and Phelim 
 followed him, and they made rich prizes ; and 
 Phelim had a lot of money, and sent us all home 
 such presents, and, bye- and-by, miss, I will show 
 you the grand things Master Magnus sent us, 
 together with a hundred pounds to father, to buy 
 stock for his farm. Ah, Miss Norah, there never 
 was such a heart as Master Magnus has ; twice he 
 saved Phelim's life ; once, in an enemy's ship, 
 when my dear brother fell, from the blow of a 
 musket, and the ships were separating, he took 
 him in his arms, and, amid a frightful fire, leaped 
 into the sea with him, and kept him up till the 
 boats of their own frigate picked them up. At 
 last the Thames was captured, after a desperate
 
 70 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 fight with the French ships ; but Lieutenant 
 O'More — as I ought to call Master Magnus — 
 and Phelim contrived to escape with some of the 
 men in a boat, and in a storm they were cast 
 ashore on the French coast. I can't tell you, Miss 
 Norah, all the wonderful adventures they had in 
 France. They were in prison in Nantes, and were 
 condemned to death ; but were saved by Captain 
 O'Brien, then a commander, being sent to seek 
 some one in the prisons, and there he recognised 
 Lieutenant O'More, and got him out of France, I 
 believe ; but they had other escapes I cannot re- 
 member, for Phelim would tell his story his own 
 way, and what with French words and sea phrases, 
 dear me, he quite confused me. However, they 
 got safe to England, and contrived to bring with 
 them a French royalist lady and her daughter, 
 and now they are both on board the Terpsichore, 
 a fine frigate, going out to the Mediterranean. 
 Lietenant O'More, however, could not refrain 
 from coming here to have one look at the home 
 of his childhood; and now, Miss Norah, I have
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 71 
 
 told you all I know, and if I have said anything 
 wrong, or ." 
 
 " Nay, Bessy," interrupted Norah, laying her 
 hand on the plump rosy arm of the farmer's 
 daughter; "do not think, for a moment, that I 
 jokingly constituted myself your confessor ; any- 
 thing confided to me is locked up in my own 
 heart." 
 
 " Do you know, Miss Norah," said Bessy, 
 archly, " that I think you are half a Protestant, 
 and, if ever you have a Protestant lover, he will 
 finish your conversion ?" 
 
 " Well, so Lord Courtown told me," said Norah, 
 laughing ; but the next instant her sweet youth- 
 ful face wore a serious expression. " It is not good, 
 Bessy, to banter upon religious subjects ; if ever 
 I change — and I tell you truly, it's not unlikely — 
 it will be from pure conviction." 
 
 The conversation reverted to the old channel, 
 and for two hours longer Norah remained, 
 deeply interested in what Bessy McFarlane re- 
 lated cf past events. She then took an affectionate
 
 72 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 leave of her comj)anion, and returned to Ashgrove 
 in a very serious and reflective mood. 
 
 Three or four days after the foregoing conversa- 
 tion, the family returned from Dublin, with 
 several visitors of both sexes. Norah was per- 
 mitted to go and spend her time at Courtown 
 Castle, being considered too young for matri- 
 monial speculations, and her worldly-minded 
 mother required her chamber for a particular 
 and favourite guest.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 73 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 We pass over a period of two years. Norah had 
 become a lovely and accomplished girl ; she was 
 in her seventeenth year, and had formed a sincere 
 friendship with the Honourable Miss Geimain, 
 niece to Lord Belltown, one of the Lords of the 
 Admiralty. She first met this young lady at 
 Courtown Castle. Lord and Lady Conrtown had 
 spent the preceding season in London, and 
 brought back Miss Germain with them, to pass 
 the summer at their castle on the lake. 
 
 The following season Norah accompanied Lady 
 Courtown to London, her own family also going 
 to spend some months there. Norah managed so 
 well that she succeeded in getting Bessy McFarlane 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 74 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 to go with her as her own special attendant. 
 Amongst the visitors at her mother's residence in 
 London, Norah often encountered a young baronet, 
 Sir James de Boriden, well known on the turf, a 
 friend of her brother Gorman, and a constant 
 guest at her father's table. 
 
 Sir James de Boriden possessed large estates in 
 Cumberland, and was a personage much sought 
 after by careful mothers who had daughters to 
 provide with wealthy husbands. It did not at 
 all signify that the young baronet was known to 
 be a gay man, or that he recklessly sported his 
 thousands on the race course. He was known to 
 be a fast man, but a safe better ; and as his name 
 never appeared on a bill, or in the papers, as a 
 loser on the turf, he was considered to bear the 
 very best of characters. 
 
 Korah O'More captivated his fancy beyond 
 any lady he had ever seen ; her beaaCy and grace 
 created a sensation in the circle in which she 
 mingled, and Sir James came at once to the 
 determination of having her for a wife. He had
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 75 
 
 not the sliglitest doubt about his success. He 
 was a tall, fashionable handsome, man, not more 
 than six and twenty. Young Gorman O'More 
 already was nine thousand pounds in his books 
 for money lent, and for rash bets. Norah's dis- 
 sipated, plotting, and worthless Uncle Hamilton, 
 who was a subservient follower and imitator 
 of the baronet, also was largely in his debt, so 
 that, in case of need, he had two of the family on 
 his side. But Norah was probably the very last 
 person whose affections Sir James Boriden was 
 likely to gain. She was no longer the wild but 
 fascinating Gal way beauty, cantering her jennet 
 across the country, heedless of hedge or ditch. 
 Norah was strangely altered, but she was infi- 
 nitely more lovely. 
 
 Norah very soon perceived that Sir James's 
 attentions were infinitely more empresse than she 
 at all desired ; therefore her manner to the 
 baronet became much more reserved. Her brother 
 Gorman perceived the change, and waiting for 
 an opportunity, he accosted his sister in a harsh 
 
 E 2
 
 76 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 and imperious manner, and demanded what slie 
 possibly could mean by sucli conduct to a man, 
 who honoured her with his attention, and ono 
 who was every way her superior. 
 
 Norah's old humour for the moment returned ; 
 with a merry laugh at her brother's supercilious 
 manner, she said, 
 
 " Eeally, Gorman, I never expected such a 
 speech from an O'More ; to call a baronet of fifty 
 years, the superior of an O'More, whose ances- 
 tors can be traced back to the first Henry. To 
 call any one a superior, is beneath the dignity of 
 an O'More ! Kecollect De Boriden's great grand- 
 father was a Sheffield manufacturer, who be- 
 queathed some two hundred thousand pounds to 
 his son, who putting a ' de' before the name, 
 spent half the money in procuring a baronetcy 
 for his son." 
 
 " Upon my word, Miss O'More," returned 
 Gorman, with a savage sneer, " you have been 
 minute in your searches into the family history 
 of the De Boridens : but take care what you do
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEB. U 
 
 or say, for the baronet's wife you sliall be !" and 
 with a passionate and unbecoming oath, Gorman 
 O'More hurried from the room, muttering to 
 himself, " she thinks she can be saucy because 
 her godfather made her a birthday present of 
 twenty thousand pounds ; but she has something 
 to learn yet." 
 
 That same day, Norali and Miss St. Germain 
 proceeded to St. James' Park ; which was a 
 fashionable lounge at that period during a certain 
 hour of the day. 
 
 Whilst there, they were joined by Mrs. 
 O'More, her brother Gorman, and her uncle 
 Hamilton, the two last named personages dressed 
 most elaborately, but certainly not tastefully, 
 for they carried the fashions of the times to an 
 extremity. 
 
 Gorman O'More was attracted by the grace 
 and beauty of the Honourable Miss Germain ; 
 he also had the vanity to imagine he had made 
 an impression on that young lady's heart. 
 
 But men deceive themselves wonderfully at
 
 78 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 times ; self-vanity is a marvellous tiling, for if 
 the truth was told. Miss Germain greatly dis- 
 liked Gorman O'More, whose habits, manners 
 and tastes were directly opposed to her own, 
 though, on account of her attachment to Norah. 
 she perhaps hesitated to give a decided check to 
 his familiarity. 
 
 As Norah and Emily sauntered on before the 
 rest of the party, they suddenly encountered a 
 tall and remarkably handsome young man in a 
 naval uniform. Both young ladies looked up, 
 and as Norah's eyes rested for an instant upon 
 the face of the stranger, she started, and coloured 
 to the temples, whilst the young man, with a flush 
 on his cheek, raised his hat from his head, and 
 saluted her. She somewhat recovered herself, 
 and returned his salutation gracefully ; but did 
 not pause in her walk; on the contrary, she 
 urged the surprised Miss Germain on. The 
 stranger looked chagrined, but with a low bow, 
 passed on. 
 
 " You know that gentleman — and an exceed-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 79 
 
 ingly fine handsome young man he is ; who is 
 he, Norah, and why, after saluting him, did you 
 urge me on," questioned Miss Germain. 
 
 " I know him, and yet I do not -know him, 
 Emily," returned Norah, '' but whether or no, it 
 would not do for me to pause and speak to him 
 now ; it is two years since he rendered me a 
 slight service ; then he was in the dress of a 
 common sailor. Now he is in the uniform of an 
 officer." 
 
 " You were almost a child two years ago, 
 Norah," said Miss Germain , " but hark !" and 
 both girls, with a start turned round, and walked 
 back, hearing the stranger speaking in a haughty 
 tone and manner to Mr. Hamilton, who, as they 
 came up, looked fearfully pale, whilst the 
 stranger's features were flushed, and his voice 
 deep and cutting. 
 
 *' Yes, I remember you well," said the young 
 officer, addressing Mr. Hamilton ; '' years have 
 not weakened my memory, or obliterated from 
 my heart your cruel conduct."
 
 80 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 "Who are you, sir?" said Gorman O'More, in 
 a towering passion, striding up in front of the 
 stranger. " How dare you so rudely and imper- 
 tinently intercept our path?" 
 
 The stranger's eyes flashed as he calmly an- 
 swered, 
 
 "You ask me who I am, sir; though this is 
 not a place for a scene like this. I will answer 
 you. My name is Roderick Magnus O'More." 
 
 " You are a liar and impostor," exclaimed 
 Gorman, furiously, and raising his walking stick, 
 he struck a violent blow at the stranger's face, 
 but the stick was grasped powerfully, and wrested 
 from Gorman's hand, as if held by a child. For 
 an instant, the young officer hesitated ; the next 
 he broke the expensive cane in pieces, and con- 
 temptuously tossing the fragments into Gorman's 
 face, raised his hat to the terrified girls and the 
 half fainting Mrs. O'More, and rapidly walked 
 from the spot, as several persons were coming 
 down the walk. 
 
 " What an audacious young villain and an im-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 81 
 
 postor,'' said Mrs. O'More, recovering herself, and 
 grasping lier brother's arm, who looked, however, 
 but ill able to support her, for he trembled 
 violently. 
 
 "Come, Norah dear, you are agitated," 
 whispered Miss Germain, " let us move on and 
 gain our carriage. Your mother will be taken 
 care of. See, we are attracting attention." 
 
 Norah, seeing her mother, and Mr. Hamilton, 
 and her brother Gorman hastily walking on, 
 without heeding her, followed her friend's ad- 
 vice. 
 
 " What an extraordinary scene, Norah," said 
 Miss Germain; " can you explain it." 
 
 " Yes — yes, another time, Emily. Not now; 
 it's a family history, and a melancholy one," she 
 added, with a sigh. 
 
 " Yes, I can fancy that it's a family affair; but 
 who on earth is Magnus O'More ; be he who he 
 may, I never saw a more noble looking youth. 
 So commanding and so graceful." 
 
 " To-morrow, Emily, you know I spend the 
 
 K 5
 
 82 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 day with you. I will tlien tell you all I know, 
 though not a subject to speak of to every one." 
 
 The next day, when alone together, Emily 
 said, 
 
 '' I think, Norah, I have something to tell you 
 in return for your intended history. Do you 
 know I dined yesterday in company with the 
 identical young oflScer we encountered in the 
 Park." 
 
 " Dined with Lieutenant O'More," repeated 
 Korah, in the greatest amazement. 
 
 " Plain matter of fact ; so you see, this Lieu- 
 tant O'More is creating quite a sensation. Now 
 as I perceive you are dying with curiosity, I will, 
 as your old priest at Courtown used to say, make a 
 clean breast of it. Yesterday's afiair in the 
 Park," continued Miss Germain, "flurried and 
 amazed me a good deal, for I do not like to give 
 good people room for gossip. On returning 
 home, I dressed for dinner, and on descending to 
 the drawing-room, who should I see sitting chat- 
 ting quite comfortably with my aunt and Cousiu
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 83 
 
 Gertrude, but your mysterious namesake, 
 Koderick Magnus O'More. 
 
 " I started and hesitated, but my aunt solved 
 any doubts I might have on the subject by intro- 
 ducing the gentleman as Lieutenant O'More. 
 
 " I was certainly a little embarrassed, whilst 
 Mr. O'More seemed singularly self-possessed for 
 one so young. My aunt saw there was something 
 between us ; but Mr. O'More at once said, turning 
 to my aunt, 
 
 " ' I hope your ladyship will excuse my having 
 most unintentionally caused Miss Germain a little 
 alarm this afternoon in the Park.' 
 
 " My aunt looked mystified, but by this time I 
 had completely recovered myself, and ventured 
 to turn the conversation, when just in the nick of 
 time — ill walked my uncle, Lord Beltown. He 
 seemed highly pleased to see his guest, shook 
 him cordially by the hand, and the conversation 
 became general till dinner was announced. There 
 was not a soul with us, for you know I told you 
 how fond my uncle is of a quiet evening at
 
 I 
 
 84 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 home, with only his family and a favourite guest. 
 A more agreeable young man than Mr. O'More 
 I never met. My uncle purposely, by some re- 
 marks and questions, drew from the young sailor 
 a history of several strange scenes in his life. 
 
 " I was greatly interested, and when I went up 
 into the drawing-room with my aunt, leaving my 
 uncle and his guest together, Lady Beltown said, 
 
 " ' That is a very remarkable young man, and 
 singularly handsome, his eyes and complexion 
 betray his Spanish origin. ' 
 
 '' ' Spanish, ' I repeated, ' were his parents 
 Spanish ? ' 
 
 " ' His mother was, 1 understand, ' replied my 
 aunt. " ' His father was an Irish gentleman. ' 
 
 " ' But where did my father meet with him ? ' 
 demanded my cousin Gertrude, ' for till to-day I 
 never saw him, and my father seems quite fond 
 of him. ' 
 
 " ' He is a proteg^ of your father's, ' returned 
 Lady Beltown ; ' he brought a letter of intro- 
 duction from Captain Broomsgrove, an old
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 85 
 
 companion and fellow sailor on board the same 
 ship. So his lordship received him most kindly, 
 admired his appearance and manners, and got 
 him appointed to a ship. He has behaved most 
 gallantly in action, and is now third lieutenant 
 of the Terpischore, which sails shortly for the 
 Mediterranean. ' 
 
 " That's all my aunt Imew. We spent a very 
 pleasant evening, and I can tell you. Miss Norah, 
 that he is amazingly struck with your beautiful 
 face ; there, you need not blush, — you are quite 
 handsome enough. So now brighten up, and 
 satisfy my curiosity, for the little I know creates 
 a desire to know moie." 
 
 Norah looked exceedingly thoughtful, but 
 rousing herself from somewhat painful reflections 
 she gave Miss Germain a full history of her 
 family, and how they came to inherit the estates 
 of Roderick O'More, and also all she had heard 
 from Bessy McFarlane with regard to Magnus 
 O'More. 
 
 "This is a strange tale, Norah," said Miss
 
 86 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Germain, seriously, as our heroine finished; 
 "and one 1 have no doubt that troubles you 
 sadly, for I can easily see you believe this 
 Magnus O'More to be the real heir to the 
 Ashgrove estates. Now this may or may not 
 be, nevertheless you could not expect your 
 father should surrender his rights to a youth 
 whose claims cannot be substantiated. It's not 
 in human nature ; besides, if your father were so 
 romantically inclined, the law would not sanction 
 the act. Other claimants to the estates would 
 start up." 
 
 The two friends talked long and earnestly upon 
 the subject ; but Lord Beltown's daughter enter- 
 ing the room, the discourse turned upon other 
 subjects. 
 
 A few days after the above conversation had 
 taken place, Mr. O'More requested his daughter's 
 presence in his library. 
 
 Norah could very well imagine the cause of 
 this request ; she, therefore, calmly entered the 
 room, her mind perfectly determined that, come
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 87 
 
 "what would, accept the hand of Sir James 
 Borideu she would not. 
 
 Mr. O'More, since the marriage of Lord 
 Oourtown and the birth of an heir to the title 
 and property and estates of Courtown, cutting 
 him and his children in all human probability 
 out of the succession, had become ten times 
 more gloomy and dissatisfied. Bitterly he cursed 
 Mr. McGrab, and as bitterly he bewailed his 
 own perverseness with respect to the thirteen 
 acres of bog land. He would have driven the 
 attorney from the snug berth he held, and from 
 his service, but for one or two secrets Mr. Mc 
 Grab possessed. So the attorney remained law 
 and land agent, and feathered his nest remarkably 
 well, as gentlemen generally do following that 
 honourable profession. 
 
 Mr. O'More, as his daughter entered the room 
 he for the time called his library, was sitting at 
 a table covered with papers, letters, and parch- 
 ment documents. He was writing, but he laid 
 down his pen, and in rather a subdued tone said,
 
 88 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 '^ Take a chair, Norah — I wish to have a half 
 hour's conversation withj^ou." 
 
 Norah obeyed, and waited till her father broke 
 the silence. 
 
 ^' I sent for you, Norah," began Mr. O'More, 
 *' to communicate a very important announce- 
 ment, and to a young girl a very serious proposal." 
 
 " I thought as much, dear father," returned 
 the young girl, calmly. " I can easily surmise 
 the proposal you speak of, and I regret very 
 much that such an offer should have been made 
 at all, for I have given not the slightest en- 
 couragement to the proposer — of course you mean 
 that Sir James de Boriden has been proposing to 
 marry me ?" 
 
 Mr. O'More looked sternly at his daughter ; his 
 large brows met in a dark frown as he said, 
 
 " Are you in your senses, answering me as you 
 do. You do not surely mean to say that you 
 would refuse the hand of a baronet, with fourteen 
 thousand a year rent roll, — a young man, hand- 
 some, accomplished, and admired. Are you mad?"
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 89 
 
 " I trust not, fatlier/' returned Norah, seriously. 
 ^' I never bestowed a tliouglit upon Sir James, 
 his rent roll, or his manners. I am not yet 
 eighteen years of age, and not so tired of my 
 home or my parents, as to leave them to become 
 the wife of a man I scarcely know, and whom I 
 could never even esteem." 
 
 " This is childish, romantic nonsense," harshly 
 interrupted Mr. O'More, " in our situation in 
 life the heart very rarely has anything to do with 
 marriage." 
 
 " Precisely the reason, my dear sir," returned 
 Norah, '' that I am determined to depart from 
 such a heartless mode of disposing of my hap- 
 piness. I can see no earthly reason why one's 
 peace and felicity should be sacrificed, in any 
 station of life, to secure worldly acquisitions." 
 
 '' Let this childish conversation cease," said 
 Mr. O'More, with a contemptuous wave of the 
 hand. " Sir James de Boriden has honoured 
 you by making proposals for your hand, and I 
 have accepted them."
 
 90 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 "What!" exclaimed Norah, witli a start 
 and a flushed cheek. "What! barter your 
 child's happiness for wealth, and without con- 
 sulting her on the subject — impossible ! I will 
 obey you willingly and cheerfully in anything 
 you propose, but the disposal of my hand, — in 
 that I must have a voice. Say, dear father, you 
 are not in earnest." 
 
 " I think, Norah," said Mr. O'More, sternly, 
 " that you ought to know me better than to sup- 
 pose I should propose anything I do not mean to 
 carry out. However, I will condescend to explain 
 to you a few things that will prove the necessity 
 of accepting an offer there is scarcely a girl in 
 England would dream of refusing. Your brother's 
 imprudence and extravagance, and transactions on 
 the turf have involved him in a debt to Sir James 
 Boriden, of nearly eleven thousand pounds." 
 
 " The more shame is due to Sir James," in- 
 terrupted Norah, " for leading so young a man 
 into the way of temptation ; he should have 
 warned, not led."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 91 
 
 *'Humpli!" muttered Mr. O'More, in his 
 sneering, sarcastic mauner; " a pretty Mentor to 
 others, whilst you cannot perceive your own want 
 of discernment. Let me finish — " 
 
 " Dear father,'^ interrupted Norah, eagerly, 
 ^'you know I am entitled to twenty thousand 
 pounds, and the interest for many years — take it, 
 sir ; I give it with all my heart. Pay Gorman's 
 debts to the baronet, and leave me a home, that 
 as yet I have no desire to leave." 
 
 Not in the slightest degree moved by Norah's 
 generosity, Mr. O'More coldly said, 
 
 '' Your twenty thousand pounds is a mere 
 nothing to the liabilities I am saddled with, 
 owing to the insane marriage of that spiteful 
 Courtown, who married for no other purpose than 
 to oust me out of the succession. Besides, I lost 
 above forty thousand pounds in those two hotly- 
 contested elections for Galway. Altogether, in 
 one word, unless I can pay one hundred and 
 thirty thousand pounds immediately, I shall be 
 forced to mortgage the Ashgrove estates so
 
 02 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 heavily, that myself and family will have to retire 
 into comparative poverty." 
 
 "Bat," said JSTorah, quite aghast, 'Miow will 
 my accepting the offer of Sir James remedy this 
 terrible state of things ? " 
 
 *' Simply by his lending me the money at a 
 very moderate rate of interest, which he can 
 easily do, having had in a long minority immense 
 sums put by. It now rests with you, whether, 
 to gratify romantic notions, you prove the ruin 
 of your family, or in becoming Lady de Boriden, 
 save them and j)lace yourself in a most proud 
 position." 
 
 Norah was for a moment bewildered — stunned. 
 Her cheek grew pale from the agitation she 
 experienced ; for to her sensitive heart, the 
 alternative put before her was trying in the 
 extreme. 
 
 Norah had no attachment whatever to anyone 
 of the opposite sex, although she experienced a 
 deep interest in Magnus O'More, or rather for 
 the wrongs and injuries he had undergone — but
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 93 
 
 notliing more. Had any gentleman of an amiable, 
 kind heart been offered to her as a husband, to 
 save her family, she would have sacrificed her 
 feelings, and accepted him. But warned by her 
 friend, Emily Germain, of the terribly bad cha- 
 racter Sir James really bore in his private trans- 
 actions, his frightfully passionate temper, which 
 was well known, and her own personal dislike to 
 him, completely filled her mind with horror at the 
 idea of such a union. 
 
 These thoughts and many others passed rapidly 
 through Norah's mind during the short pause 
 that ensued, when her father ceased speaking ; 
 but looking up, she at length said, 
 
 " Father, it is impossible ; I cannot conquer 
 my repugnance. Sir James De Boriden's wife I 
 can never be." 
 
 " This is your fixed determination," said Mr. 
 O'More, in a freezing tone, fixing his piercing 
 eyes upon poor Norah, who was as pale as 
 death. 
 
 *' Yes," she replied, rousing herself and speak-
 
 94 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 ing firmly. '' Yes, sir, such is my determination^ 
 I am ready to sign any document assigning to 
 you my right to the twenty thousand pounds, and 
 interest ; but destroy my peace of mind for ever, 
 I cannot." 
 
 Choking with passion, Mr. O'More could only 
 wave his hand and say " leave me." 
 
 Norah rose from her chair. She knew her 
 father's temper and nature too well to dream of 
 softening his displeasure by any endearment of 
 manner or expression of regret. She therefore 
 left the room without further words. The next 
 day she received a note from her mother, stating 
 that the family would leave town the following 
 day for Ireland, and that she was to accompany 
 them. 
 
 Emily Germain saw that Norah suffered much 
 at being the cause of trouble to her family, for 
 she feared aifairs were even worse than her father 
 had stated, and she reproached herself. 
 
 " My dear Norah," said Miss Germain, "you 
 are blaming yourself, and, indeed, wrongfully.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 95 
 
 you disliked Sir James from the very first. I 
 therefore had no scruples in telling you what I 
 did. He is a bad man^ and, for one so young, 
 very depraved ; but his vices are in secret and 
 cloaked ; he it is "who has led your brother to 
 make ruinous and bad bets ; he wished to have 
 him in his power. You wonder how I know 
 these things, but I will tell you my secret. I 
 intended to do so before we parted, but that 
 event has come sooner than we expected. 
 In the same ship with Mr. O'More is an officer to 
 whom I consider myself engaged." 
 
 Norah looked surprised. '^ That accounts," 
 said she, " for your predilection for the sea and 
 for the navy." 
 
 ^'Yes," said Miss Germain, with a smile, " it 
 does. George Templeton and I have been at- 
 tached from our earliest years ; he has the appro- 
 bation of my uncle, and only waits for one step 
 more in his profession ; he expects to be made a 
 commander the first action he engages in, if it
 
 96 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 turns out a brilliant affair. He is first lieu- 
 tenant of the Terpsicliore. Your cousin and 
 George Templeton will be sure to be great 
 friends, lor they are kindred spirits. George was 
 in town just before your arrival ; lie was a 
 sclioolfellow of Sir James de Boriden, and was 
 intimate with him for two or three years after. 
 From Georo-e I asked his character, when I under- 
 stood his intention was to propose for your hand. 
 So now, my dear Norah, keep up your spirits ; 
 a heart like yours is not to be thrown away 
 upon such a man as Sir James de Boriden. I 
 know not how it is, whether the spirit of 
 prophesy is in me, but I do firmly believe 
 that you and Mr. O'lMore will love each other, 
 and if so your affection will not easily be 
 conquered." 
 
 Norah shook her beautiful head, saying, 
 though a flush passed over her fair face, " yours 
 is a wild prophesy, Emily, and as unlikely to 
 take place as — "
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 97 
 
 *' Hush !" said Emily, playfully, '^ you are no 
 prophet." 
 
 Kissing each other with fond affection, the two 
 fair girls separated, promising to keep up a con- 
 stant correspondence. 
 
 VOL. 1.
 
 98 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Magnus O'More, whose history and adventures 
 as a boy have already appeared before the public, 
 in the form of an illustrated boy's book, entitled 
 " The Young Middy," * set out from London to 
 join the Terpsichore, which then lay at anchor in 
 Plymouth Sound. 
 
 Short as was the time he had remained in com- 
 pany with Norah at Mrs. McFarlane's cottage, he 
 was greatly struck and interested by her appear- 
 ance and manner. Bessy McFarlane had pre- 
 viously spoken to him of Miss O'More, of her kind 
 and gentle nature, and goodness of heart, and how 
 much she was loved by all around her. She was 
 
 * Marlborough and Co.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 99 
 
 then, it is true, only a girl, but she gave promise of 
 exceeding beauty. Magnus had felt an intense de- 
 sire, before proceeding to sea, of going to Ashgrove, 
 of visiting his mother's last resting-place, and 
 looking upo n scenes where the happy hours of his 
 infancy and childhood were passed. He recollected 
 every inch of ground about Ashgrove ; every well- 
 remembered spot he contrived to visit, and many 
 a bitter tear would rise to blind him when he 
 thought of his own wrongs, his mother's early tomb, 
 and his father's untimely end. He was scaarcely 
 nine years of age when his tutor, Mr. Hamilton, 
 forced him from Ashgrove, treating him with 
 the most heartless cruelty, and consigning him, 
 when insensible from a severe attack of fever, to 
 the care of a brutal old woman, who lived on the 
 sea-shore, and whose cottage was the resort of 
 smugglers, who carried on their illicit trade in 
 caves beneath the cottage. 
 
 The young man could not forget this ; he 
 cherished the memory of the past too vividly to 
 permit the treatment he had received, or the 
 
 F 2
 
 100 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 features of his tutor, to escape his recollection ; 
 when, therefore, he suddenly came face to face, 
 in St. James' Park, with the man he so vividly 
 remembered, and who had so grossly ill-treated 
 him, and slandered his mother's memory, all his 
 blood seemed to rush to his temples, and his 
 passionate nature was roused almost to fury ; but 
 the sight of Norah's sweet imploring face, — for 
 he remembered her at once, — disarmed him of 
 half his wrath. 
 
 After this second meeting with Norah, her 
 image seemed to haunt him ; she had struck a 
 chord in his heart, and henceforth Norah 
 O'More was always present when he pictured 
 to his imagination the form and features of one 
 he could love with all the fervour and warmth of 
 his ardent and enthusiastic nature. Just before 
 leaving London, to join his ship, he received a 
 long letter from his lamented father's friend, Mr. 
 Creagh. 
 
 It is not necessary to lay before our readers 
 the entire contents of the worthy rector's letter ;
 
 Al'LOAT AND ASHOEE. 101 
 
 he spoke much of the past, and of the present 
 master of Ashgrove, — of Norah he could never 
 say enough ; she was, to his mind, although pro- 
 fessing a different faith, all that was amiable, 
 lovely, and gentle. '' You are too young," con- 
 tinued Mr. Creagh, " to distract and disturb your 
 mind with the unpleasant mystery attached to 
 your birth ; with God's will it will yet be cleared 
 up. From all I have heard you are likely 
 to obtain a name and position for yourself. 
 When this war ceases, which, I trust, it will soon, 
 I hope to see you again ; I can furnish you with 
 many particulars, with your lamented mother's 
 maiden name, the names of the two clergymen, 
 Protestant and Catholic, who performed the mar- 
 riage ceremony in Spain, and who have since dis- 
 appeared, baffling all your dear father's attempts 
 to trace them. Should it please God to remove 
 me before your return, I shall leave written in- 
 structions and testimonies of these things i now 
 write to you about ; follow your profession with 
 steadiness and honour, and never forget, for a
 
 102 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 moment, that there is an all seeing eye watching 
 over all, from the highest to the lowest." 
 
 On reaching Plymouth, Magnus O'More's first 
 duty was to wait on his commander. Captain 
 Bowen, and present the letter of introduction he 
 had received from Rear Admiral D'Arcy. Captain 
 Richard Bowen, whose name is recorded with high 
 encomiums in our naval history, was a most 
 gallant and enterprising officer. He received the 
 young lieutenant most kindly, invited him to 
 dinner, and introduced him to his family. 
 
 " We sail in a few days," said the commander 
 of the Terpsichore, " so you will have time to fit 
 yourself out in many things you may require." 
 
 Phelim McFarlane had already entered, and 
 was on board anxiously expecting the arrival of 
 his master, as he always styled the young lieu- 
 tenant. Phelim was made captain of the fore- 
 top, and was a fine specimen of an able seaman. 
 
 " Now, then," said Magnus, on the third day, 
 " I will go and have a look at the saucy Terpsi- 
 chore, and make acquaintance with my brother
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKK. 103 
 
 officers ;" — getting into a shore boat he shoved off 
 for the frigate. 
 
 His appearance on the deck of the Terpsichore 
 caused considerable surprise, though it was 
 known to the officers and men who the new third 
 lieutenant was ; his career in the service, short 
 as it had been, was well known and spoken 
 of, especially some of his early exploits on 
 the Spanish main. All were aware that he was a 
 high-spirited, gallant young man, of great courage 
 and remarkably fortunate ; but his figure and ap- 
 pearance certainly took them by surprise : in 
 height he stood five feet eleven, and had a 
 breadth of shoulders and chest any man might 
 be proud of ; he was, as yet, scarcely filled out in 
 limb and person, but there was a lightness and elas- 
 ticity in his movements betokening great activity. 
 Altogether, there was an appearance of power 
 and vigour, added to a graceful manner about him 
 that struck all who saw him. Sailors are quick 
 and keen observers, and quite as good judges of 
 the human countenance as ever Lavater was. As
 
 104 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 our hero sprang lightly on deck, there were more 
 than a hundred eyes fixed upon him. 
 
 " My eyes and limbs!" saida topman to a knot 
 of seamen collected near the gang-way, ^' there's 
 a youngster for you ; there's a leg and foot, Jim 
 my hearty," striking a messmate a slap on the 
 hack that staggered him ; " ain't he a pattern of 
 u man ? and no more beard on his chin, Jim, that 
 your Polly." 
 
 *' Be the powers of Moll Kelly," cried an Irish 
 sailor, " he's a broth of a boy entirely — so 
 McFarlane said, and be gor there's a pair of em ; 
 he's the lad ; there will be no skulking, depend 
 on it, when he sings out, boarders away — it will 
 be devil take the hindmost." 
 
 Magnus made the acquaintance of his brother 
 officers ; afiable, kind, and winning in his manner, 
 he soon created a strong feeling in his favour. 
 From the first lieutenant, George Templeton, he 
 experienced unusual attention, so much so as 
 to surprise him. He did not then know that his 
 senior officer was the lover of the beautiful Miss
 
 AELOAT AND ASHORE. 105 
 
 Germain, who had written to him of Magnus 
 O'More in terms of great praise, hoping that he 
 and George would become friends, which the first 
 lieutenant determined, after a very short acquaint- 
 ance with our hero, that they should be. 
 
 Magnus O'More, before the Terpsichore sailed, 
 gave all the officers a grand dinner, on shore, at 
 the Talbot. Captain Bowen himself sat with 
 them for more than an hour. A most convivial 
 evening was spent, and all the officers returned 
 to the ship, fully convinced that the third lieu- 
 tenant was a trump, every inch of him, and as 
 he stood seventy-one inches, that was pretty well 
 for a beo'inninjj. 
 
 The Terpsichore, however, did not sail for 
 several days after the period contemplated, 
 Captain Bowen having received fresh orders. 
 
 Phelim McFarlane was as great a favourite in 
 the forecastle as the young lieutenant was on the 
 quarter deck. Satisfied that he had his master 
 with him, Phelim troubled about nothing else ; 
 he was as gay as a lark, played the fiddle to per- 
 
 F 5
 
 106 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 fection, and could dance a hornpipe fully as well, 
 his comrades said, as the famous Mr. Horncastle, 
 who performed nightly at the Plymouth theatre, 
 to a house crowded with blue jackets. 
 
 At length the Terpsichore was under weigh, 
 bowling along the Cornish coast with a strong 
 north-easter. 
 
 Magnus stood watching the progress the frigate 
 was making through the water with a pleased 
 look. She was under to23-gallant sails, and 
 running free, and was, at least, going through 
 the water eleven knots. 
 
 " She sails well, Mr. O'More," said the first 
 lieutenant, joining our hero, just as they were 
 abreast of the Lizard light-houses. 
 
 " Remarkably well/' returned Magnus ; " she 
 is equally good, I suppose, on a taut bow- 
 line?" 
 
 " If possible, better," was the reply of the first 
 lieutenant. '' It is her pet performance. I'm not 
 afraid of any vessel afloat, not even of the 
 A.rethusa."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 107 
 
 " If she will hold with her," said Magnus, 
 *'you certainly have a fast shij). I sailed in the 
 Arethusa, after xjassing." 
 
 "Yes; I know that. Her first lieutenant, 
 Stephenson, is a very dear friend of mine, and 
 you saved his life." 
 
 Magnus looked pleased. The first lieutenant 
 of the Terpsichore was a very handsome, fine- 
 looking man, about eight-and- twenty. 
 
 " I received many kindnesses from Lieutenant 
 Stephenson," observed our hero. " He is a noble 
 seaman; and as kind as he is brave." 
 
 "Just his character. You have not heard, I 
 dare say, that he has been made a commander ; 
 for I only heard it myself the morning we 
 sailed." 
 
 "I rejoice to hear it," said 0' More. "Has 
 he got a ship?" 
 
 '^ No ; he expects one immediately. I think I 
 know some one else you are acquainted with," 
 continued the first lieutenant, with a smile, — 
 ■" the Honourable Miss Emily Germain."
 
 108 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " Ah ! how singular," returned Magnus. " My 
 acquaintance with her was, I regret to say, of 
 short duration ; for she appeared to me a most 
 amiable, lovely, and unaffected girl. From her 
 uncle. Lord Beltown, I have received much kind- 
 ness ; and was, through his interest, appointed 
 to this ship, which I consider a most happy event, 
 as it has procured me your acquaintance." 
 
 " I hope to say friendship," said the first 
 lieutenant, pressing Magnus's hand. •' This 
 evening, as we neither of us shall be on duty, join 
 me in a glass of wine. I should like an hour's 
 conversation." 
 
 " Most willingly," assented Magnus, quite 
 delighted. 
 
 When the sun went down that evening, the 
 Terpsichore had sunk the land to a mere outline. 
 
 In the first lieutenant's cabin sat George 
 Templeton and Magnus O'More, with wine and 
 biscuits before them ; the Terpsichore was running 
 before the breeze, as steady as if sailing on a 
 lake.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 109 
 
 It requires but a very short time to make sea- 
 men thoroughly acquainted with each other. 
 Both anxious to please, and to form a friendship, 
 soon led to the result desired. 
 
 The senior spoke of his strong attachment 
 to Miss Germain, and said the happiness of his 
 life was ensured by her returning his love. He 
 possessed an independent income, and Miss 
 Germain was also entitled to a large sum of 
 money ; their engagement had the approbation of 
 Lord Beltown, and all they waited for was his 
 commandership. This was the subject of the first 
 lieutenant's communication ; and Magnus, in his 
 turn, without any reserve, gave an outline of his 
 early life, which greatly interested his listener, 
 who expressed his opinion openly and unreser- 
 vedly. 
 
 "Your uncle,^' said Lieutenant Templeton, 
 " knows well that he has deprived you of your 
 rights; for, that your father was married before 
 your birth, there is not a shadow of doubt in my 
 mind. Viere it not for his amiable and most
 
 110 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 lovely daughter, Norah, whom you have seen, 
 and of whom Emily speaks in such warm and 
 glowing terms, I would not, were I you, hesitate 
 in accusing him of usurping your lawful inhe- 
 ritance." 
 
 " But without any earthly proof," said Magnus, 
 ^* doing as you say could lead to no result. I care 
 not for the estates, but I would rescue my mother's 
 and father's name from the shadow of a reproach ; 
 though now that I have seen my beautiful 
 cousin, with whom, I confess, I am most forcibly 
 struck, I feel a repugnance in bringing disgrace 
 upon her father. But on that unfeeling wretch, 
 Hamilton, whose brutality I can never forget, I 
 would willingly inflict a just punishment." 
 
 Much was said, on both sides, on the subject ; 
 but neither could come to a satisfactory method 
 of acting, in order to establish Magnus's legiti- 
 macy. Changing the conversation, our hero 
 questioned Lieutenant Templeton on his career 
 in the service. 
 
 "Were you not," asked our hero, "at the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. Ill 
 
 capture of Fort Royal, in the West Indies. I 
 heard Eomney say something about it, and also 
 of a most gallant exploit of a Captain Faulkner ?" 
 " Yes," returned Mr. Templeton, " that 
 was a gallant exploit. Our present commander, 
 Captain Bowen, was there also. He was then 
 lieutenant of i he Boyne. He took the Bienvenue 
 frigate, which was lying, chain-moored, within 
 sixty or seventy yards of the shore. He boarded 
 her in the boats, in broad day-light, whilst the 
 walls of Fort Louis were crowded with troops, 
 who kept up an incessant fire of musketry. 
 Nevertheless, our gallant commander made a 
 dash alongside the frigate, boarded her, after a 
 short, fierce contest, and drove the greatest part 
 of the crew into the sea, whence they scrambled on 
 shore. In returning, however, we were exposed 
 to a tremendous fire, — we had three men killed, 
 and several severely wounded. But, with respect 
 to Captain Faulkner's splendid attack upon Fort 
 Royal, that was a glorious afi'air, — he ran the Zebra, 
 under an extraordinary fire of grape, close to the
 
 112 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 wall of the fort, leaped overboard, followed by 
 his ship's company, assailed, and actually stormed 
 and took the place before the boats could get 
 ashore. But tell me, O'More," continued the 
 first lieutenant, '"^ how it was you saved Stephen- 
 son? He said it was a desperate affair; but 
 never gave me any of the particulars." 
 
 " Oh, it was a simjile occurrence enough saving 
 the gallant Stephenson's life/' replied Magnus. 
 " It was in an exploit with a piratical fleet of Java 
 pirates, oif their coast. We boarded them in 
 boats, led by Lieutenant Stephenson in the gig, 
 it was stark calm, and our frigate lay nearly 
 seven miles from the piratical fleet. They were 
 urging their craft through the water with oars, 
 trying to get into shoal water between two islands. 
 
 "It was a sweltering hot dayj and the men in 
 the boats were just as if they had been dipped 
 in the sea_, from the perspiration that ran from 
 them. When the pirates found they could 
 neither reach the shoal water nor baffle us, they 
 formed themselves in two lines, five boats in
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 113 
 
 €ach line. We ran into the iirst line, and 
 boarded, under a desperate fire, wliich killed two 
 of our men, and wounded five. As we gained 
 their decks they exploded lour barrels of powder, 
 right amongst us, literally sacrificing themselves, 
 as well as many of our men. The shock sank the 
 craft Lieutenant Stephenson and I were in, and 
 killed five of our crew, wounding and knocking 
 into the sea more than a dozen of us, your 
 friend and myself amongst the number. 
 
 " Strange to say, Ave were unhurt ; but Ste- 
 phenson, singularly enough, could not swim a 
 stroke. All this time the pirates in the other 
 crafts kept up a perpetual fire from muskets and 
 other guns ; but our gallant crew, with the third 
 lieutenant and one midshipman, drove the pi- 
 rates into the sea, and, casting oif, attacked the 
 other line. We were, in the confusion, smoke, 
 and fierce contest, thought to be killed. 
 
 '' I got Stephenson, who was as cool as a 
 lettuce, on my back ; and, as the smoke cleared 
 off, made for the nearest craft, which turned out
 
 114 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 to belong to the pirates, trying to escape. 
 She ran right on us, without seeing us, for they 
 were all on the other side, watching the fight. 
 Stephenson seized a rope, and swung on board at 
 the same time as I did ; and, with a cheer, we 
 made a rush at the dozen pirates on board. They 
 must have imagined, in their jjanic, that they 
 were boarded by a boat full of us, for some 
 jumped overboard, and the others jammed them- 
 selves into the small kind of cuddy in the fore-part 
 of the boat. Seizing their arms, we rushed 
 after them, and fastened them in safe enough. 
 We then trimmed the sails, and rejoined our 
 men, who gave three hearty cheers when they 
 saw us alive and imhurt ; we sank the entire 
 fleet, and let the unwounded swim ashore. It 
 was dark night when we rejoined the frigate; but 
 it was a disastrous affair, — we lost nine fine 
 fellows, and had thirteen wounded, eight 
 severely." 
 
 *' Ah !" remarked Mr. Templeton, " those boat 
 attacks, though always gallantly maintained and
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 115 
 
 nearly always successful, are generally attended 
 with a sad sacrifice of valuable lives. You and 
 Stephenson, for instance, had a most narrow 
 escape, — your third lieutenant was severely 
 handled, and the gallant young midshipman died 
 of his wounds afterwards, and all for a set of 
 infernal pirates." 
 
 " Very true," returned Magnus, seriously. " I 
 was by the bed-side of my gallant comrade when 
 he died, at only fifteen years of age. He was a 
 noble boy, died like a man, and with the spirit of 
 a hero, sensible and full of pride for the service, 
 only regretting that he had not done more for his 
 Majesty. ' God bless him !' these were his last 
 words." 
 
 " Such is life, in our service," added Lieutenant 
 Templeton. 
 
 " By-the-bye," he continued, " you have 
 mentioned several times a Lieutenant O'Brien. 
 I daresay the same O'Brien, who commanded 
 
 the , in that gallant affair otf Brest, but he 
 
 was called Commodore O'Brien."
 
 116 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " Yes, it's the same O'Brien," observed 
 O'More, "a nobler heart never breathed; but 
 for him, how different my destiny might have 
 been ! He comes of an old Milesian family, — 
 Catholics, — who quitted this country from poli- 
 tical feelings, and detesting the laws then and 
 indeed still in force against Catholics, settled in 
 France, and O'Brien entered the French naval ser- 
 vice, in which he early distinguished himself; but 
 for his unexpected appearance at Nantes, that 
 fiend Carrier would have had me shot." 
 
 " You skipped that part of your narrative," 
 said Templeton, "pray tell me how yo a escaped 
 out of the Thames, after your desperately hard 
 fought contest with the two French frigates." 
 
 " Most willingly, but in truth I feared to tire 
 you, with the rather strange incideats of my early 
 life." 
 
 " We have plenty of time, and your adventures 
 singularly interest me." 
 
 '' You are aware," began O'More, " that the 
 Thames did not haul down her flag, till totally
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 117 
 
 dismasted and disabled by the contest she had 
 maintained with two frigates, and a third coming 
 up. In a most helpless condition we were taken 
 in tow by the frigate that joined, and which in 
 point of fact, caused us to surrender. Most of 
 the officers and men were removed into the other 
 vessels. I chanced to be left aboard the Thames 
 with Phelim McFarlane and eight of the crew 
 of our ship, to help to get her to rights. The 
 prize crew were a drunken, disorderly set, and 
 before night set in, there was scarcely a sober 
 man amongst them. McFarlane came up to me, 
 as I was leaning on a gun carriage, and watching 
 the lights of the frigate towing us. There was 
 not much wind, and we progressed slowly. 
 
 " ' I tell you what we can do, sir,' said Phelim, 
 in a low voice, ' the men are drunk, there is the 
 launch towing astern, the officers are carousing 
 in the cabin. I can manage, it's so dark, to draw 
 the boat up under our starboard quarter ; four 
 of our men are ready to make the attempt ; they 
 have no boats to pursue, and before they miss us,
 
 118 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 and can make signals to the craft towing us, we 
 shall be past pursuit.' 
 
 '' I jumped at the idea, for, by Jove, the vision 
 of a French prison was rising up before me rather 
 disagreeably. Well, we succeeded so well that, 
 one by one, we managed to steal down into the 
 boat, with our pockets full of biscuit, but no 
 water, and cutting the warp, we let the boat drop 
 astern. 
 
 '' A thick mist was just then creeping over the 
 sea, most favourable to us. We were missed 
 about ten minutes after our departure, and we 
 heard guns, and saw various signals and blue 
 lights burn, but seizing the four oars in the boat, 
 we pulled seaward with might and main. There 
 was no boat on board the Thames, and before 
 one could be lowered from the frigate towing, 
 and be pulled along side the Thames, to learn 
 what had occurred, pursuit in a thick fog must 
 have appeared worse than useless. We lay upon 
 our oars and listened, for the night was still, 
 with but a light wind, but no sound of oars was
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 119 
 
 heard in any direction, so we considered ourselves 
 safe. "We fully expected when the fog should 
 lift to be able to board some English vessel 
 cruising along the French coast. 
 
 " But when the day-light made, a strong 
 breeze set in with a thicker fog, and in a few 
 hours the sea increased rapidly. I judged that 
 the gale, — for it was rapidly becoming one, forcing 
 ns to run before it, — was blowing us upon the 
 French coast ; to attempt to pull the heavy 
 launch against a head sea and a fresh wind was 
 out of the question, so as it increased into a 
 regular gale about two hours after mid-day, we 
 made up our minds to be driven upon the French 
 coast. Phelim McFarlane was savage at the 
 idea of a French prison, and proposed, should we 
 drive into any inlet or river, to seize the first 
 craft we could see. 
 
 " I was quite willing to adopt this plan, and, 
 just as the determination was agreed to, the fog 
 lifted and the gale worked itself into a perfect 
 tempest. Land was right ahead of us, only a
 
 120 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 couple of leagues off; the sea was lashed into 
 foam by the squalls, and flew over us in sheets of 
 spray, sometimes we shipped a good deal of water^ 
 which we bailed out as vvell as we could. "We 
 anxiously scanned the coast we were approach- 
 ing, and when within a league perceived we 
 were running into the mouth of a deep inlet or 
 wide river. This was a fortunate circumstance, 
 for the sea broke tremendously along the coast 
 and against the east and west heads that formed 
 the mouth of the river. We did not see a single 
 vessel, neither town nor village, but we could 
 discover strong forts which protected the entrance 
 to the river on both sides. We ran over the bar 
 and were nearly swamped several times, but round- 
 ing the eastern head, we smoothed the water by 
 keeping round the head. Here, we were seen from 
 the fort, and could see men moving along the 
 walls, and also perceived that a tricolour floated 
 over the fort. 
 
 " Having got into smooth water, just as it be- 
 gan to grow dusk, we put out our oars to keep
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 121 
 
 the boat off shore ; to consult what we should 
 do, whether to run further up the river, and 
 that I should land, and as I spoke French, try 
 and purchase provisions. I felt satisfied that those 
 in the fort possessed a boat, and would follow 
 us up the river ; and I was right, — in a very short 
 time we heard the noise of oars, and made out an 
 eight-oared galley, with several men in her stern 
 sheets, pulling right for us. To contend in speed 
 with such a boat was folly, and to resist without 
 a single weapon, equally so. So we lay upon 
 our oars, and in five minutes, the coastguard 
 boat was along-side. There were six men pull- 
 ing, besides six armed with cutlass and pistol. 
 
 '^It was quite dark, blowing heavily, and 
 a pelting rain setting in. Laying hold of the 
 side of the launch, the officer in command of the 
 boat asked who we were, and where we came 
 from, and what we wanted up the river. 
 
 " I merely said we were English, and had been 
 forced to run before the gale, without knowing 
 where we were going. 
 
 VOL. I. o
 
 122 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " ^ Well, then,' said the Frencliman, ' you are 
 prisoners. "We shall take you to Langai, and 
 deliver you over to the authorities. ' 
 
 " We had nothing for it but to submit. They 
 took us in tow, and in less than an hour we saw 
 the lights of the town. I am very brief, my dear 
 friend," continued Magnus O'More, " for none 
 of the incidents that followed are worthy of re- 
 lating, till I became an inmate of a cell in the 
 prison of Nantes. 
 
 " Phelim and I were placed in the same cell, 
 which was a great consolation to me. But day 
 after day, and week after week had passed away, 
 when suddenly the jailors took us from our cell,, 
 and thrust us into an immense dungeon, in 
 which were above a hundred prisoners, all French. 
 
 " To my great horror and indignation, I 
 learned that all in the cell were condemned by that 
 fiend Carrier, to be shot. He was committing 
 the most unheard-of atrocities in Nantes. His 
 butcheries and monstrous depravity I need not 
 relate to you ; they are notorious.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 123 
 
 " The next day, twenty of my fellow-prisoners 
 were taken out and shot. The next day the same 
 number. ' Are we to die like dogs ?' said poor 
 Phelim, to me, 'let us make a rush, your honour, 
 and die, grasping- these murderous villains by the 
 throat ; faith, I'll make sure of a couple anyhow.' 
 It began to look serious, when we remained with 
 only eighteen others for the next day's butchery. 
 We owed this cruel incarceration to our savage 
 jailer. Phelim got exasperated at the man's in- 
 solence to me, and on his putting chains on my 
 wrists, knocked him down with a blow of his 
 chains. The rascal called several assistants, 
 who would have killed Phelim, I do think, had I 
 not interfered; a fierce fight ensued, for you 
 know we are both strong, and we tumbled over 
 several, though chained by the wrist, till the 
 governor and his guard made their appearance, 
 and stopped the contest. With a savage oath, 
 the jailer left us, telling me he would get an order 
 from Carrier, to place us with the Malignants, 
 and he was true to his word. 
 
 G 2
 
 124 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 "The last night of our incarceration was a 
 wretched one ; our fellow prisoners gave way to 
 a frightful despair, so contrary to the generality 
 of prisoners at that eventful period. I tried to 
 persuade them, as our hands were free, when the 
 door opened the next day, to make a fierce rush 
 upon the guard, and die contending for our 
 freedom. But no — they sunk into helpless apathy. 
 That long night passed. I need not teil you what 
 I felt, or what 1 thought. I was young to die ; 
 I had never feared death in the strife of 
 battle, but somehow the injustice done us, the 
 cruel and painful imprisonment we had under- 
 gone, and the mode of putting us to death, had a 
 painful eSect upon me. I felt a fierce rage in 
 my heart ; I tried to quell this feeling, and be- 
 come resigned, but could not. As to Phelim, 
 he feared nothing ; all his anxiety was for me. 
 He vowed he would be the death of our ferocious 
 jailer, if he came for us the next day ; and he 
 felt sure he would, to gratify his hatred, by 
 coming to see us marched off to our doom.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 125 
 
 Morning dawned faintly into our miserable, filthy 
 dungeon, and its dull light fell upon a despair- 
 ing group, huddled together, moaning and sigh- 
 ing, as they lay stretched upon the damp soil. 
 Presently we heard the bolts drawn back, and 
 the key turn. ' Come, my faithful friend,' said 
 I to Phelim, taking his arm, ' let us at all 
 events shew them how British sailors can meet 
 their doom.' 
 
 " ' Oh, by the powers, Mister Magnus,' said 
 my strong hearted follower, ' it's not afraid to die 
 we are, but Pll shew some of the hounds what it 
 is to have my fingers round their throat.' As he 
 spoke, the door swung open, and the blaze of a 
 torch flashed upon us. An ofiicer in a Commo- 
 dore's uniform, entered the prison, followed by 
 four jailers, two carrying torches. Phelim was 
 preparing for a spring, for he beheld our old 
 enemy, but I held him back, for the torch flashed 
 on the ofiicer's features, and with a cry of joy, I 
 called out, ' O'Brien !' and then stood rooted te
 
 126 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 the spot, spell bound by the sight of my early 
 benefactor. 
 
 *' ' My God ! who spoke ?' said O'Brien, snatch- 
 ing a torch and springing down the steps. ' Speak 
 again ; I know that voice.' 
 
 " ' Ah !' I exclaimed, overpowered. ' It is I — 
 Magnus O'More,' and I threw myself upon the 
 neck of my beloved friend. 
 
 " ' O'More !' exclaimed O'Brien, holding me 
 back, and gazing into my features with amaze- 
 ment and strong aifection; but a violent uj)roar, 
 shouts and curses, roused us. We turned and 
 beheld a scene of terrible confusion. Phelim 
 McFarlane had recognized our former jailer; 
 with a spring and a shout, he had dashed at 
 him, and before he could escape, had seized him 
 by the throat in his firm grasp ; the other jailers 
 rushed to their comrade's rescue, and as we 
 turned and ran towards them, Phelim dashed 
 the man senseless upon the steps, and was driv- 
 ing the others before him, by blows from an
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 127 
 
 ■extinguislied torcli. All this strife did not 
 rouse into action a single prisoner ; they sat 
 stupified on the ground, gazing vacantly at the 
 combatants. 
 
 " The uproar brought the governor and the 
 guard, but by that time, I had restrained Phelim's 
 rage, and the turnkeys had lifted up the sense- 
 less body of their principal. He was severely 
 handled, it is true, but no danger to life. 
 
 " As the governor entered, purple with rage, 
 O'Brien said, advancing and confronting him, 
 * How is this. Monsieur de Barras ; an English 
 officer and a British seaman, confined amongst 
 the condemned. Are you aware that you are 
 compromising the dignity of the Republic, and 
 will cause a terrible retaliation. Do you think 
 England, or the laws of civilized countries will 
 permit so wanton an outrage ?' 
 
 '' ' English officer ! ' repeated the Governor, 
 evidently confused, and hesitating. ' There are 
 no English confined here.' 
 
 " ' You are in error. Governor,' said O'Brien,
 
 128 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 indignantly, pointing to me and Phelim, as we 
 advanced and faced him. ' Here is an English 
 naval officer, and this is,' laying his hand on 
 Phelim, * a British seaman ; I know them both 
 well. This officer belongs to ihe British frigate 
 the Thames; so does the seaman. I ask again, 
 how came they here ?' 
 
 " ' Well, Commodore,' returned the Governor, 
 trying to recover himself, but looking daggers, 
 ^ there must be some mistake. Five Englishmen 
 were brought to this prison from Langai, and said 
 to be spies ; they were confined in a cell by them- 
 selves till the truth was ascertained. How they 
 came here, I cannot say,' and turning to one of the 
 jailers, he asked, ' where is Jacques Marot ? 
 They were under his care.' 
 
 " ' He is just carried out, with a hole in his 
 head, ' returned the jailer, spitefully. ' That 
 man,' pointing to Phelim, ' half-strangled him, 
 and then knocked his head against the iron bars. 
 I wonder he did not kill him.' 
 
 *' ' Pity he did not,' said O'Brien, coolly. ' Here,
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 129 
 
 liold your torch, and let me examine these un- 
 fortunate men.' 
 
 " O'Brien then examined them one by one, 
 expressing pity for their cruel fate, but said, with 
 respect to them he was powerless. He would 
 speak to Carrier, and he also knew a courier was 
 expected from Paris before morning, to put an 
 end to these butcheries. I happened to look 
 at the Governor, and saw a smile of fiendish 
 malice in the expression of his countenance, as 
 much as to say, — Before he arrives, you will all 
 be shot. 
 
 '•'Your friend, Commodore O'Brien, is not 
 amongst these prisoners,' observed the governor. 
 
 " ' No, I lament to say, he is not, for he would 
 then be safe. However, I trust he has never 
 been an inmate of these cursed prisons.' 
 
 " ' You use strong langaiage, Commodore,' said 
 the governor, spitefully ; ' take care you do not 
 exceed — ' 
 
 " ' Sir !' interrupted O'Brien fiercely, ' I will 
 t ake care, and would have you take care, for had 
 
 G 5
 
 130 OUE BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 you let this gentleman be executed your head 
 would not have been on your shoulders twenty- 
 four hours. I tell you, sir, your rulers in Paris 
 are sick to death of this monstrous holocaust of 
 human blood. A change has taken place, and 
 who knows — it looks like it — but that those who 
 have sacrificed Frenchmen, innocent of crime, to 
 gratify their love of blood, will not now march 
 to the guillotine amidst the execrations of 
 thousands.' 
 
 " Monsieur De Barras turned pale as death. 
 
 " ' Here,' continued Commodore O'Brien, pull- 
 ing a folded packet from his pocket, opening 
 it, and pointing to the seals and signatures of 
 three of the most powerful rulers of the republic. 
 ' Here is my authority. I may select any two 
 captives I find in this prison. I take these two 
 Englishmen with me to Paris ; there I shall efiect 
 an exchange of prisoners. Happily I have arrived 
 in time to save the republic a dishonourable deed, 
 which would have brought down the indignation 
 of all civilized governments.'
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 131 
 
 " '' Come with me, dear friend,' said O'Brien, 
 laying his hand upon my arm. ' It seems, 
 O'More," he added with his old hearty laugh, 
 ' I'm born to be your guardian angel, though not 
 very like one in shape or dimensions.' 
 
 '' ' But like one in heart,' I added, squeezing his 
 strong muscular hand. 
 
 '"Be gorra ! I wish I had choked that brute,' 
 muttered Phelim, as he followed us ; and as he 
 said afterwards, scarcely able to keep his hands 
 from the governor. 
 
 After a few formalities, giving a receipt for our 
 persons, we left the prison. 
 
 *' I need not tell you what a happy evening I 
 spent with my kind friend. His was a true heart. 
 He had great interest with those in power. A 
 dear friend of his, with his son, had incurred the 
 vengeance of one in power. After infinite trouble 
 he thought he had traced them to Nantes, where 
 they were said to be imprisoned by Carrier. He 
 instantly procured an order for the liberation of 
 two prisoners, from the prison of Nantes, and
 
 132 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 immediately set out. He was baffled in his 
 search ; but in a measure repaid by releasing me 
 and Phelim. We accompanied him to Paris, 
 and shortly after, through his exertions, were ex- 
 changed." 
 
 A summons for the first lieutenant to attend 
 the captain, caused the friends to separate for the 
 night. 
 
 The next day the Terpsichore was bowling 
 along under a strong gale, through the troubled 
 waters of the Bay of Biscay ; the fourth they 
 passed Cape Trafalgar; and twenty-four hours 
 after were at anchor before Britain's stronghold, 
 Gibraltar. 
 
 During the succeeding fourteen months the 
 Terpsichore made seven very successful cruises. 
 On one or two occasions Lieutenant O'More 
 greatly distinguished himself, and from his con- 
 duct, gallantry, and generosity became a prodigi- 
 ous favourite with the crew, who would not have 
 hesitated to have followed him against any odds. 
 
 In a fiercely contested action with a frigate of
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 133 
 
 the enemyj of equal force, but assisted witli a 
 remarkablj fine corvette of eighteen guns, Lieu- 
 tenant Templeton was severely wounded by a 
 splinter, the second lieutenant killed, and Captain 
 Bo wen stunned from a contusion; and being 
 carried below, the command for a time devolved 
 upon our young hero. Magnus O'More fought 
 the two vessels with such remarkable skill and 
 good fortune that the corvette struck her flag, and 
 the French frigate made sail, and escaped ; the 
 crippled state of the Terpsichore, who bore up 
 with her prize for Gibraltar, preventing pursuit. 
 
 This action was thought a great deal of by 
 nautical men, and very shortly after, Magnus was 
 appointed second lieutenant of the Terpsichore. 
 The war with Spain, increasing in asperity, the 
 Terpsichore in the year 1796 was again in the 
 Mediterranean. 
 
 It unfortunately happened that one or two of 
 the oflScers and many of the men were disabled 
 by a dangerous fever : upwards of thirty of the
 
 134 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 crew were in hospital, and to Magnus's deep 
 regret Lieutenant Templeton was also attacked, 
 and was forced to be carried ashore. At this 
 critical time Captain Bowen received orders to 
 sail and cruise off the port of Carthagena. The 
 change of air would be beneficial to those of the 
 crew sick in their hammocks, but not bad enough 
 to be taken to the hospital. 
 
 It was the month of October when the Terpsi- 
 chore reached her destination ; the weather very 
 fine. The frigate one morning was lying to, with 
 the wind blowing a fine steady breeze from west- 
 south-west. The Spanish coast was not more 
 than three leagues to leeward of the frigate. 
 Captain Bowen was pacing the deck, thinking of 
 their somewhat crippled condition as to his 
 men ; his first lieutenant in Gibraltar, with thirty 
 of the men; his third lieutenant and two mid- 
 shipmen, and fourteen men ill on board, and the 
 ship was cruising where they might expect every 
 day to meet with powerful enemies.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 135 
 
 Magnus O'More was looking away to the east- 
 ward with his glass, and chatting to a j'oiingmid, 
 named Spencer, a great favourite of his, when he 
 was joined by his commander. 
 
 " We are uncommonly unfortunate with this 
 fever, Mr. O'More," said Captain Bowen; 
 " should we come across an enemy of force we 
 should find ourselves very short handed." 
 
 "Ihave been in the sick ward, sir," said O'More, 
 " and I am sorry to say the surgeon's report is 
 not exaggerated. Some of the poor fellows are 
 so anxious to be up, that it is difficult to keep 
 them in their cots. I am sure if they heard a 
 shot they would be in the thick of it, despite our 
 surgeon's restriction." 
 
 " Especially," said Captain Bowen, with a 
 smile, " if they heard your voice calling for 
 boarders." 
 
 " Sail to windward !" sung out the look-out 
 aloft. 
 
 It was nine o'clock a.m., that the intelligence
 
 136 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 of a strange sail, and that it was a large ship, 
 roused all hands on board the Terpsichore, for 
 they knew that they were upon the spot where the 
 Spanish fleet was cruising only a few days before.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 137 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The decks of a man-of-war become the scene of 
 considerable excitement when preparing for 
 action ; and such excitement was exhibited on the 
 deck of the Terpsichore, when it was ascertained 
 that the vessel approaching them was an enemy's 
 ship. The topsails of the British frigate were 
 braced round and filled, and the noble ship 
 gathering way, advanced to meet its opponent. 
 
 " She is Spanish," said our hero, who was at- 
 tentively regarding her, " and I think I know 
 her — it's the Mahonesa." 
 
 " Then, by Jove !" exclaimed Captain Bowen, 
 taking a look at the stranger, " we shall have a 
 tough customer; the Mahonesa is commanded by
 
 138 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 a very brave man, and carries nearly the same 
 force as ourselves in guns, but is two hundred 
 and fifty tons larger. We shall see presently 
 what her captain's intentions are." 
 
 All eyes were fixed on the Mahonesa as it 
 advanced. The crew all eager to commence the 
 fight, whilst several of the sick, roused by the 
 preparations going on, glided secretly up the 
 hatchways, hoping to be able to assist. 
 
 The Mahonesa was a noble-looking frigate ; as 
 she neared the Terpsichore, she braced, and 
 furled her top-gallant sails, for there was a fine 
 strong breeze blowing, and a clear blue sky over- 
 head ; the bright sun sparkling on the waters ; 
 nature smiling, and man about to hurl destruction 
 upon his fellow-man, without one atom of private 
 hostila feeling in their hearts ; all for glory and 
 national honour. 
 
 The Spaniard came within hail of the Terpsi- 
 chore placed in good position ; Captain Bowen 
 ordered a gun to be fired, as a trial of the Spanish 
 frigate's intentions.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 139 
 
 Immediately the Malionesa gave the Terpsichore 
 a broadside. 
 
 " Ho ! ho ! my beauty," exclaimed Phelim 
 McFarlane, sliding down a rope from aloft, " you 
 are at it — may be we'll give you sauce to your 
 goose, that you won't relish ; and, at a signal 
 from O'More, who acted as first lieutenant, in 
 the absence of his friend, Templeton, a well- 
 directed broadside went crashing into the rigging 
 and sails of the Spaniard. 
 
 For nearly an hour the two frigates kept ma- 
 noeuvring and firing into each other deadly broad- 
 sides of round shot, grape, and canister, till the 
 Mahonesa, dreadfully crippled, put before the 
 wind. A loud cheer broke from the crew of the 
 Terpsichore, who had not, strange to say, one 
 single man killed,* though many were wounded. 
 
 " Now, my lads," exclaimed our hero, " knot 
 and splice ; work hard, we must have the Don be- 
 fore an hour was passed." 
 
 " We have had sharp work," said Captain 
 
 * Fact
 
 140 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Bowen ; " but, happily their guns were too ele- 
 vated ; we are awfully cut up in rigging and sails, 
 O'More." 
 
 " Our antagonist has'nt a spar fit to flutter a 
 petticoat/' said young Spencer, coming up, 
 " there goes her mizen-mast." 
 
 In an incredible short time the crew of the 
 British frigate had knotted and spliced, renewed 
 shattered spars, hoisted new sails, and were in 
 pursuit of the Spaniard. 
 
 Before two hours had elapsed, the Terpsichore 
 was again along-side her opponent. The British 
 crew gave three hearty cheers, and were on the 
 point of pouring into their enemy a terrible broad- 
 side, when the Mahonesa hauled down her colours, 
 and surrendered. Captain Bowen was sitting on 
 a gun carriage, for he had severely sprained his 
 ankle in falling on a shattered gun carriage. 
 
 " Do you go, O'More," he said, " and take 
 possession — I can't stir ; strange that the Spanish 
 commander should surrender without another 
 bout."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 141 
 
 <£l 
 
 The sliip is desperately riddled, and must^ 
 besides, have many killed," answered Lieutenant 
 O'More, ''our last broadsides were all pointed 
 low." 
 
 Accordingly, launching a gig — the only boat 
 without a hole in it, the young lieutenant pushed 
 off for the Spanish frigate. 
 
 As he ascended the side and gained the deck, 
 the commander of the Mahonesa came forward to 
 meet him, — he was a tall, handsome man, about 
 forty-seven or forty-eight years of age. 
 
 Don Tomas Ayalda looked at Lieutenant 
 O'More, and paused, with his sword in his hand, 
 and evidently astonished ; but immediately re- 
 covering himself, handed him the weapon, saying, 
 *^ Al desdichido, noce le vale sen esforzado ; " a 
 Spanish proverb, meaning, that courage without 
 fortune is unavailing. 
 
 *' True, senor," returned our hero, in the same 
 language, speaking it [so purely as evidently to 
 surprise the Spaniard, and answering hiai also 
 with a proverb, '' Baylar al sen que se toce,"
 
 142 CUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 meaning tliat it was " good at times to bend to 
 circumstances," at the same time returning tlie 
 sword, adding, " you defended your ship, senor, 
 not only gallantly, but dearly." 
 
 " You speak our language astonishingly well," 
 said Don Tomas. 
 
 " I studied it early, senor," returned Magnus 
 O'More, '' and have had good practice on the 
 Spanish main ; you have, I fear, many killed." 
 
 •' Yes," returned the commander of the Mahon- 
 esa, " we have fifty killed, and more than that 
 number wounded ; my men, however, refused to 
 rally after your last broadside, they are dastards, 
 for we still are capable of resistance — they have 
 disgraced the name of Ayalda. Have you many 
 killed, senor ?" 
 
 "Not one, senor, but several wounded." 
 
 " Santo Dies !" exclaimed the Spaniard; "not 
 one killed ? — amazing :" and such is human nature, 
 disappointed, and yet a kind and generous man 
 by nature. 
 
 "You see," continued Captain Ayalda, "our
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 143 
 
 booms having fallen down, completely disabled 
 our lowest guns. Pray may 1 enquire how many 
 men you have on hoard your ship ?" 
 
 "About one hundred and eighty," returned our 
 hero, " men and boys, able to do duty." 
 
 Whilst this conversation was going on, the 
 Terpsichore boats hastily plugged, were taking a 
 portion of the Mahonesa's crew to the British 
 frigate, and brought word to Lieutenant O'More 
 that Captain Bowen wished him to take charge 
 of the Mahonesa, as it was his intention to pro- 
 ceed with his prize to Lisbon. 
 
 Before sunset both ships were again in some 
 measure able to carry their canvas : the Mahonesa 
 had scarcely a shroud to support her injured 
 masts. In the evening, the captain of the 
 Mahonesa, and our hero were sitting taking their 
 wine in the cabin, when Don Ayalda said, after 
 some unimportant observations, " I pray you, 
 senor lieutenant, favour me with your name ; your 
 countenance, the expression of your features, and
 
 144 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 the tone of your voice, recall to my mind many 
 events long since passed." 
 
 The person addressed felt interested, and im- 
 mediately said, "My name is O'More — Roderick 
 Magnus O'More." 
 
 "Dios! How very strange," exclaimed the 
 Spaniard, passing his hand across his brow ; " can 
 it be possible that you are the son of Roderick 
 O'More, and Fernanda of Cordova ?" 
 
 Magnus sprung to his feet at hearing the name 
 of his mother ; his first thought was, — " is the 
 mystery of my birth about to be solved ?" His 
 handsome features became flushed as, grasping 
 the Spaniard's hand, he said, with much emotion, 
 
 " Senor, you agitate me. Did you know my 
 mother?" 
 
 " Yes," returned Don Ayalda, more agitated 
 even than our hero. " Yes, I knew Fernanda 
 of Cordova, well ; I cannot doubt of your origin, 
 when I look into your eyes. Twenty-two years 
 pass away as a dream, and Fernanda comes be-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 145 
 
 fore my eyes again, in all her glorious yontti and 
 beauty." 
 
 The Spaniard hent his head upon his hands, 
 and remained for several moments in profound 
 thought. Magnus sat down greatly agitated, but 
 refrained from breaking the silence ; " who," he 
 thought, "can this man be. My mother's 
 brother perhaps, or more likely a disappointed 
 lover." 
 
 Don Ayalda at length looked up ; his face was 
 very pale, as he said, 
 
 " Have you any brothers or sisters ?" 
 
 *' Alas ! senor, my mother died before I reached 
 my second year." 
 
 " Dead ! Fernanda dead ! " exclaimed the 
 Spaniard, with a tone of deep feeling ; and sud- 
 denly rising, he bowed, placed his hand to his 
 face, and abruptly left the saloon, retiring for the 
 night to his own sleeping cabin. 
 
 Mairnus O'More remained srazins: at the door 
 through which the ex-commander of the Mahonesa 
 had retired. 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 "By all that is wonderful !" lie exclaimed, half 
 aloud, " there seems to be some strange fatality- 
 attending everything and every one who appears 
 to have any knowledge of my poor mother and 
 father. In France, a priest was on the point of 
 disclosing all the particulars to me, when he was 
 seized by the revolutionary ruffian Carrier, and 
 has long since, no doubt, been guillotined. But 
 Don Ayalda cannot surely refuse to explain the 
 meaning of his emotion, and state what ho 
 knows." Greatly excited and anxious, he pro- 
 ceeded on deck, and walking aft, he perceived his 
 humble, but faithful follower Phelim, and another 
 seaman at the helm. 
 
 Phelim McFarlane had gone through many 
 scenes of peril and suffering with our hero, who 
 looked upon him more in the light of a faithful 
 friend than aught else. 
 
 Approaching the wheel, he said to Phelim, 
 *' Would you believe it, Phelim, the captain of 
 this craft appears to have known my lamented 
 mother !"
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 147 
 
 '* Blessed Virgin ! is it possible, your honour ?" 
 exclaimed Phelim, in a tone quite excited. 
 " Then the blessed truth will be known at last." 
 
 " I trust in God it will, Phelim ; he appeared 
 greatly agitated when I mentioned her death, 
 and retired to his cabin." 
 
 " Faix, sir," said Phelim, in great glee, ''we 
 have this one safe, at all events ; be gor, he can't 
 get away from us as the priest did." 
 
 " No, so I said to myself," returned the lieu- 
 tenant ; and one or two of the Spaniards ap- 
 proaching, Magnus walked over to the weather 
 side, to look out for the Terpsichore. It was a 
 bright moonlight night, and the breeze steady ; 
 the aspect of the weather was important, for the 
 masts of the Mahonesa would never stand a 
 strong gale. Our hero could perceive the Terp- 
 sichore, whose crippled state also required care. 
 
 The next morning, Don Ayalda made his ap- 
 pearance at breakfast, looking pale and serious ; 
 but in a courteous manner, he said, 
 
 P 2
 
 148 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 ''I have to apologise, Lieutenant O'More, for 
 my abrupt retiring last night." 
 
 " I perceived," returned Magnus, " that the 
 subject we were conversing on was a painful one ; 
 to me it was also distressing. My beloved father 
 and mother are no longer of this earth." 
 
 '' Both dead ! both in the pride of their youth 
 and beauty. "What fatality deprived you of both 
 your parents so early in life ?" 
 
 Magnus, after a moment's thought, resolved 
 to state, in a very brief manner, all he knew rela- 
 tive to his parents ; but when he came to his ex- 
 pulsion from his father s house, with the stain of 
 illegitimacy upon his birth, the Spaniard started 
 from his seat, with the flush of passion over his 
 features, and his manner extremely excited. In 
 a voice, tremulous with passion, he said, 
 
 "Who has dared to stain the fair name of 
 Fernanda de Cordova with so foul a blot ? and 
 have you remained till now," he added, fiercely 
 fixing his flashing eyes on our hero, " without 
 vindicating the memory of your sainted mother?"
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 149 
 
 " If I had ten lives, Don Tomas Ayalda," re- 
 turned Magnus O'More, vehemently, " I would 
 willingly sacrifice them all, to clear away the 
 stigma attached to her name and mine. I live 
 with that one idea engrossing my whole thoughts 
 and mind; but an impenetrable mystery seems 
 to envelope all particulars relative to my lamented 
 mother's marriage." 
 
 Don Tomas paced the cabin for a few moments ; 
 he then took Magnus by the hand, requesting 
 him to pardon his vehemence. " You shall hear 
 from me much that will tend to relieve your 
 mind ; though you may still be greatly troubled 
 to gain the proofs you require to establish your 
 claims to an unstained birth. This evening, 
 when vour duties on deck relax for a while, 1 
 will make you acquainted with the circumstances 
 of your mother's marriage ; you shall also learn 
 why I appear to feel so much on this painful sub- 
 ject ; but now answer me one question. — Did you 
 ever hear your father mention the name of Harold 
 Fitzwilliam ?"
 
 150 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 '« No," said Magnus. " Never." 
 
 " Harold Fitzwilliam, " remarked the Spaniard, 
 *'wasa high-spirited, adventurous young man, 
 not at all adapted for the profession of a Protes- 
 tant clergyman. He it was, who united your 
 father antl mother, as did likewise a Catholic 
 priest;— but you are summoned, this evening we 
 shall have more time." 
 
 O'More then went on deck. The weather was 
 still fine, hut a swell was running in towards the 
 laud from the south-east, and dark clouds appeared 
 coming up from that quarter; they were in sight 
 of the Cape de Gatte. With a south-east gale, 
 they could reach Gibraltar with very littb canvas 
 spread, the distance being short. The Terpsichore 
 was about two or three miles astern, for the Maho- 
 nesa sailed fast. Signals were exchanged, and then 
 our hero shaped his course more to the southward. 
 
 As the sun went down, the sky became rapidly 
 overcast, and the wiud shifted a point or two 
 more to the southward, but continued steady. 
 Don Ayalda was pacing the deck.
 
 AFLOAT^ AND ASHORE. 161 
 
 " I do not think," lie remarked to Lieutenant 
 O'More, ''that we shall have much wind; we 
 are subject to great changes of weather off this 
 cape." 
 
 " An easterly gale has a long life on this 
 coast/' answered our hero. 
 
 '' Very true ; so it has," returned Don Ayalda ; 
 *' however, it will be a favourable wind for yon 
 now."" 
 
 After conversing with Don Tomas, who ap- 
 peared a most accomplished gentleman, for nearly 
 an hour, they proceeded to the cabin. In the 
 course of the night, Don Tomas gave our hero the 
 following history.
 
 152 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 HISTORY RELATED BY DON TOMAS AYALDA. 
 
 "Don Diego de Cordova, Count de Cabra, 
 ranks with the highest of the high Spanish 
 nobility. He traces his descent from the great 
 Count de Cabra, who with twelve hundred foot, 
 and two hundred and fifty mounted knights, all 
 his own vassals and tributaries, gave battle to 
 Boabdil el Chico (the unlucky), the h^st king of 
 Grenada, as he was returning with a powerful 
 army, laden with spoil and cattle to Grenada. 
 This Hotspur, of Andalusia, totally defeated the 
 Moorish king, and carried him off as a p risoner.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 153 
 
 whilst he drove the remnants of his army into the 
 river of Mengenzales, where they mostly perished. 
 
 " Don Diego inherited, by direct descent, from 
 this his great ancestor, an immense tract of 
 country in the Vega of Grenada, and several 
 castles in Andalusia ; but his chief family resi- 
 dence was Cazala, between Jaen and Cordova. 
 His lady, the Countess de Cabra, was connected 
 by blood with the voyal family then on the throne 
 of Spain. I speak thus particularly of the Cabra 
 family mc^rely to prove to you that, from your 
 mother's side, you sprang from as noble a race aa 
 any in all Spain. 
 
 " Your mother, Fernanda of Cordova, as she 
 was usually styled, was the only child of the proud 
 Count de Cabra. You ma}', therefore, well 
 imagine that an alliance with her was most 
 eagerly sought by the richest and noblest }Outha 
 in Spain ; but her father early fixed upon the 
 Duke de Almodovar del Rio. This young and 
 haughty noble was of the ' sangre azul ' (blue 
 blood) ; to say that he v/as imperious, fierce, and 
 
 H 5
 
 154 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 revengeful, is giving his character sufficiently. 
 One virtue he had not, for he was not even 
 courageous. Fernanda detested the Duke, whilst 
 he was passionately attached to onewbose beauty 
 was so pre-eminent. 
 
 " From the age of nine years I was reared in 
 the household of the Count de Cabra. My family 
 was noble, but I was an orphan without fortune, 
 though (distantly connected by blood with the De 
 Cabras. xVs I advanced in years, I became the 
 companion of Fernanda^ till I was made page to the 
 Count. 1 his was merely in accordance with old 
 customs, — I was to enter the naval profession. 
 
 " From boyhood I was the compauiou of Fer- 
 nanda ; and I learned to adore her, the ground 
 she walked upon was sacred to me, a flower plucked 
 by her hand, and carelessly dropped, I treasured 
 as 1 woukl life ; and this love, that engrossed my 
 heart and soul, met no return, — yet I loved on 
 blindly, and, alas ! madly. 
 
 " I was eighteen when my patron placed me in 
 the naval service, Fernanda filteen ; and before I
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 155 
 
 quitted her I had the folly and insanity to tell the 
 Count de Cabra's daughter how much I loved her. 
 She answered me mildly and kindly, — said we 
 were, after all, but children ; she would esteem 
 me hereafter as a friend, but no more, and besides, 
 she was betrothed. 
 
 " At the age of twenty-two I returned for a 
 time to the Count's palace at Cordova. Fernanda, 
 then eighteen, was one of the loveliest of God's 
 creatures ; the marriage with the Duke was to 
 take place in a few weeks. I remarked that the 
 Count's daughter looked grave and reserved. 
 Time had only increased my insane love. I knew 
 Fernanda hated her betrothed, I therefore sus- 
 pected she loved some one in secret ; and, with 
 all the ardour and insanity of a jealous lover, I 
 thirsted to discover the object of her choice. I 
 was certain, from my knowledge of her character, 
 that, if once she loved, death alone would quench 
 the flame. 
 
 " The Count, and all his Itirnily, moved to 
 Seville. This city is the finest in all Andalusia,
 
 156 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 indeed, I may say, in Spain. Fernanda had 
 passed three months there with a relative, and 
 had frequented the splendid festas given by the 
 high noblesse. 
 
 " I was to remain with the Count de Cabra's 
 family till after the marriage, which was to be 
 celebrated at the Count's palace in Seville. At 
 this time there were three persons in Seville who 
 exctied much attention and curiosity ; and your 
 father engrossed the principal attraction of the 
 three, especially with the females. He was remark- 
 able for the magnificence of his figure, his manly 
 beauty, and for the renown he had gained at the 
 Spanish Court. He was then about four-and- 
 twenty. He had travelled over Europe, and been 
 to the East, his sole companion a young English 
 clergyman, whose name was Harold Fitzwilliam. 
 They had penetrated into the interior of Africa, 
 and rescued from a terrible martyrdom a French 
 missionary priest, and brought him with them 
 into Spain ; all three were then in Seville. Your 
 father, as I learned afterwards, was there at the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 157 
 
 time of Fernanda's visit to her relative. At a 
 bull-fight, in the Plaza de Torres, an extraordinary 
 accident exposed the females of the royal family 
 to imminent danger. 
 
 " Your fatner, at the peril of his life, rescued 
 one of the princesses. I believe a portion of the 
 royal stand gave way, and a rush of the terrified 
 spectators bruke down the barriers, and five 
 furious Andalusian bulls let loose amongst the 
 people, gored and trampled re any to death. 
 Eoderick O'Alore, howeverj slew one of the bulls, 
 and saved the princess's life in so remarkable a 
 manner, that Charles the Fourth invested him 
 with the highest order of knighthood in Spain, 
 and for the time he remained he was highly 
 honoured at court. 
 
 " At a tertulia, given at the Cabra palace, 1 
 saw Fernanda and Roderick 0'J\Iore side by side. 
 Oh, the agony I suftered ! I discovered their 
 secret, — tliey were lovers. I became mad with 
 rage. You cannot know, senor," continued Don 
 Tomas, passing his hand across his brow, as if
 
 158 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 some painful feeling made liis temples throb; 
 " you cannot know or judge how the passions are 
 excited in this climate of ours. Examine our 
 annals, they are full of terrible incidents, influ- 
 enced by love, hatred, or revenge, — the latter a 
 fearful feeling in a Spaniard's heart. On the 
 twenty-first of October Donna Fernanda was to 
 give her hand to the Duke. Oh, hew I watched 
 every motion, every look of her I so madly loved ; 
 but she was calm and self-possessed. Your 
 father, and his two friends, had left Seville. 
 Strange, how strange and incomprehensible are 
 the workino's of the human heart ! I could see 
 her united to the Duke, because I knew she would 
 never love him ; but the thought of her becoming 
 your father's wife drove me wild. 
 
 '' The night came ; I was like a spectre, — pale, 
 thin, and haggard. I could not persuade myself 
 that Donna Fernanda would complete the sacri- 
 fice so calmly, so composedly. Was there any 
 scheme on foot to rescue her at the eleventh 
 hour ? Your father's daring nature I thought
 
 APLOAT AND ASHORE. 159 
 
 would brave anything ; but it appeared impos- 
 sible, for in another hour Fernanda would be a 
 bride. 
 
 "After being attired in her bridal robes, she 
 requested permission to pass the last hour before 
 she became a bride in her chamber, and alone. 
 This nut unusual request was, of course, 
 granted. 
 
 " She retired, keeping, however, with her, as 
 was afterwards ascertained, a favourite attendant. 
 This female, was by birth an English woman, 
 who had been reared and educated in Spain from 
 her iiiuth year. Her father had served several 
 years in the Spanish service, but dying, left his 
 child without protection. The Countess of 
 Cabra, Fernanda's mother, heard of this hapless 
 child, aud most generously became her protectress ; 
 she was reared as the personal attendant of her 
 daughter, and after some years married a native 
 of Seville, but was to remain with Donna 
 Fernanda till her marriage should take place. 
 
 " The marriage was to be solemnised in the
 
 160 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Cabra Palace, -uhich stands with its rear facing 
 the waters of the Guadalquiver ; the ma,f^aificent 
 gardens extending down to the water's edge. The 
 ceremony was to take place at nine o'clock at night, 
 and a vast company were assembled within the 
 palace to witness the nuptials. 
 
 " Donna Fernanda's windows looked out over 
 the gardens — oh, how many nights have I stood 
 gazing at the li^ht in that window, to catch but 
 a glimpse of her shadow against the blinds ! I 
 stole from amongst the guests, — the domestics 
 were busy with preparations for the feastings, — 
 proceeded into the garden and along the walk 
 till 1 came opposite her window ; there was a light 
 there as usual. I could hear my heart throb, I 
 felt inclined to place my sword against the ground 
 and end my life on its point, but as I stood 
 beneath the clustering branches of a large orange 
 tree, I saw three ligures come from a private 
 door, which led from the Countess Cabra's library 
 out upon a balcony, — from thence you could 
 descend into the garden by a flight of steps.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 161 
 
 The niglit was very dark, but the air perfectly 
 still. i\iy heart beat audibly; who were those 
 persons ? I asked myself, and began creeping 
 noiselessly towards the steps. I then caught a 
 tolerably clear view ot the three figures, one so 
 much taller than the others ; — they were all 
 wrapped in mantles, but I could swear to the tall 
 powerful figure of Roderick O'More. 
 
 " If I had been ofi'ered a throne I could not have 
 uttered a cry, but sufi'ocatiDg with passion, my 
 tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth, with 
 my drawn sword in my hand I rushed at them 
 and tore the mantle from the one who leaned 
 upon 0'More"s arm, — a low cry was uttered, — 
 oh Dios ! the agony of that moment, for dark 
 as it was I recognised Fernanda : madly I rushed 
 upon your father, and with a thrust thought to 
 slay him ; but lie had drawn, my thrust was 
 parried, and as the word ' fool!' reached my ears, 
 his sword passed through my body and I fell 
 totally insensible on the ground." 
 
 The Spaniard paused, helped himself to a glass
 
 162 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 of wine, and looking into the agitated features of 
 his companionj continued, 
 
 *' Can you, Lieutenant O'More, understand all 
 this?" 
 
 *' Yes," returned our hero, " I can, and from 
 my soul I pity you, and feel for what you 
 suffered; hut my father could not be blamed, even 
 had he taken your life." 
 
 "I never blamed him," said the Spaniard, 
 mildly. "I forgave him, years ago; peace to 
 his ashes," and Don Tomas crossed himself 
 devoutly. 
 
 After a few moments, Senor Ayalda con- 
 tinued. " I must have remained insensible many 
 hours, for when able to look about me, I perceived 
 that I was lying on a bed, that my wound had 
 been dressed, and that two persons were standing 
 beside me. As I regained a little strength, from 
 a cordial given me, I saw that one of the persons 
 beside my bed, was the Duke del Rio, the other 
 the Count's surgeon. 
 
 "The Duke's features, always harsh and
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 163 
 
 disagreeable, were inflamed with passion. ' Fool !' 
 exclaimed the Duke, as soon as he perceived I 
 was able to hear and perhaps speak. ' Fool ! 
 why did you not give the alarm, instead of 
 madly pitting yourself against the best swords- 
 man in Spain.' 
 
 '^ ' No more fool than yourself, proud Duke,' I 
 exclaimed, with an effort; but I could say no 
 more, the blood again gushed from my wound, 
 and I became a second time insensible. 
 
 " I lay three weeks after this, at the point of 
 death. When I recovered I found I had been 
 removed to a lodging at a respectable widow 
 woman's house in Seville, the Count and his 
 household having quitted the city. You can 
 imagine my first question of the widow as I began 
 to recover was — was Donna Fernanda pursued and 
 rescued ? Dame Juana shook her head, * No, 
 no, poor soul,' said she, ' the heretic Englishman 
 has got away with her, body and soul, both 
 ruined— lost!' 
 
 " Do you know, strange as it may seem, I felt
 
 164 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 a relief. My madness was undergoing a cure. 
 How, said I to myself, can I pretend to love 
 Fernanda, and yet wish to see lier the wife of 
 such a tyrant as the Duke Del Rio ? Gradually 
 I regained strength, and more peace of mind. I 
 ardently longed to hear the sequel of Fernanda's 
 flight. 
 
 " As soon as I was able I proceeded to Cazala, 
 where the Count de Cabra was residing with his 
 Countess and his household. 
 
 " He received me with chilling coldness and 
 hauteur, and, like the Duke, upbraided me for 
 not instantly spreading an alarm, when the 
 fugitives might have been pursued with success, 
 instead of attacking the villain, who had robbed 
 him of his daughter, with the sword, with 
 which I could have had no chance of success. 
 Whereas I lay a whole hour before my body was 
 found, and the fugitives missed, for they had 
 patiently waited the expiration of the hour 
 Donna Fernanda had requested. I stated calmly 
 to the Count, — for he had sheltered and protected
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 165 
 
 my infancy and youth, and was besides my 
 superior kinsman, — that I had not the power to 
 utter a cry. 
 
 " * That may be,' said the Count, who suspected 
 my weakness, ' but you could have rushed into 
 the house and spread an alarm ; had you done so, 
 they could have been overtaken, but nearly two 
 hours were thus lost ; still Tomas Ayalda, I for- 
 give you, you acted from impulse.' 
 
 " I dared not ask the Count particulars, so 
 retired, — but from his own personal attendant, a 
 kind good man, I gained the intelligence I now 
 give you. 
 
 " As I before stated. Donna Fernanda had a 
 favourite attendant, and she it was who had 
 managed all the meetings between her mistress 
 and Roderick O'More. 
 
 " From several causes, it became impossible to 
 arrange the scheme for carrying off Donna 
 Fernanda till the night of her nuptials, a period 
 the least likely to excite suspicion. For this 
 purpose she retired to her chamber, requesting
 
 166 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 not to be disturbed for an hour. Fromlier inner 
 chamber there was a corridor leading to the 
 Count's library, and, as I stated, from the library 
 a door opened on to a balcon}'' and thence to the 
 gardens leading to the river ; Mary Torridos, your 
 mother's attendant, had of course procured keys 
 for all the doors. 
 
 *^Your father had in his pay a party of 
 contrabandistas, men remarkable for their 
 audacity and daring. These men, in many districts, 
 especially in that of St. Lucca, assemble in 
 hundreds, and overpower all opposition. Skir- 
 mishes often take place, and many lives are lost, 
 for which our narrow-minded government is to 
 blame. The officers of the revenue are most 
 wretchedly paid, and the duties on certain articles 
 so enormous as to amount to a prohibition. 
 Roderick O'More had procured two of their fastest 
 galleys, and also a large fast sailing Catalan, 
 which lay at anchor several miles down the 
 river, 
 
 *' About three or four miles from Seville, on
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 167 
 
 the eastern side of the river, is a chapel dedicated 
 to the Virgin. It was built on that secluded spot 
 in consequence of a miracle that had occurred 
 during a fearful inundation of the Guadalquiver, 
 the waters entering one of the houses in Seville. 
 Attached to the wall of one of the chambers was 
 an ancient picture of the Madonna. This picture 
 continued to float upright for five days, never 
 once sinking, and finally lodged on the bank of 
 the river ; and there a chapel was built, and the 
 picture deposited within — a priest and two 
 assistants being domesticated there — and this 
 chapel at certain seasons was much frequented. 
 
 " On the night that Roderick D'Hore carried 
 off Donna Fernanda de Cabra the priest and his 
 two assistants were roused from their slumbers, 
 and were induced to enter their chapel. In the 
 chapel were Donna Fernanda, your father, Harold 
 Fitzwilliam, the priest Bellgarde, and Mary 
 Torridos. The marriage ceremony was first 
 performed by the priest Bellgarde, and afterwards 
 by Harold Fitzwilliam, the protestant clergyman.
 
 168 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 At the conclusion of the ceremonies every person 
 present wrote their names in the books of the 
 chapel, and as they all departed your father 
 bestowed a large sum of gold upon the priest of 
 the chapel and his assistants, and then the whole 
 party disappeared. 
 
 '' Nothing further is known, except that your 
 father and his bride escaped to Italy, and that 
 the Count de Cabra's vengeance pursued every- 
 one in the remotest degree connected with the 
 proceedings of that eventful night. The English- 
 man, Harold Fitzwilliaro , either perished in the 
 Inquisition or lingers there still. I do not up- 
 hold the Inquisition," continued Don Ayalda, 
 " for I consider it a terrible abuse of power ; but 
 its days are numbered, and this engine of tyranny 
 and monstrous cruelty will, like its fellow institu- 
 tion, the Bastille, be hurled to the ground." 
 
 Lieutenant O'More gazed at the Spaniard with 
 surprise. 
 
 "You look," continued Don Toraas, with a 
 faint smile, "amazed at hearing a Spaniard
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 169 
 
 speaking so boldly of a power still in existence ; 
 but its existence is but a shadow ; already has 
 the revolutionary spirit of France, with its dream 
 of universal freedom, crept through catholic 
 Spain ; its eifects will be felt, but not to the ex- 
 tent it is in the country of its birth. Spain may 
 hurl her incubus from her breast, but to deny 
 God and his holy and immaculate power she 
 never will, I trust ; but to resume the topic from 
 which I have wandered, 
 
 " Though I learned that the Englishman was 
 seized and confined in the dungeons of the In- 
 quisition, for daring to perform an heretical 
 marriage, in a chapel dedicated to the Madonna, 
 I never could learn what became of the French 
 priest. Whether he escaped or fell a victim T 
 know not. 
 
 " The Duke del Rio and the Count de Cabra were 
 possessed of immense influence. The chapel where 
 the ceremony was performed was razed to the 
 ground, as a place sullied by a profane rite having 
 been performed within its walls, the Count De 
 
 VOL. I. 1
 
 170 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Cabra buildinoj another chapel on a grander scale, 
 on another site. The priest and his assistants 
 who witnessed the ceremony of Fernanda's 
 marriage, disappeared ; disposed of I suppose in 
 some distant and severe monastery. Every person, 
 remote or near, who could be supposed to be in 
 any way concerned in the flight of his daughter 
 felt the Count's vengeance ; to me he never be- 
 came reconciled. ' I have given you,' said he, 
 ' a profession — follow it. We meet no more. 
 To you I owe the loss of my child's soul and 
 body.' I have never seen him since — " 
 
 ''Then he still lives," said Magnus, greatly 
 surprised at hearing so determined and terrible a 
 feeling of vengeance, exercised no doubt upon 
 many entirely innocent. 
 
 '' Yes, he is still in existence, and so is the 
 Duke de Rio. You may think such an instance 
 of revenge unusual, but this is far from the case. 
 I will tell yuu another which occurred to the 
 great grandfather of the present Count de Cabra, 
 and which shows what a terrible spirit he inherits.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 171 
 
 " A Count de Cabra was married to a womau 
 of Moorish extraction, remarkable for her beauty 
 and accomplishments ; the match was a love one 
 on the part of the count. Not so on the part of 
 the lady. She loved another — a knight of the 
 military order of Calatrava — but the lady was 
 virtuous, and so was her unfortuna<'e lover, who 
 was going to fight the Moors on the coast of 
 Africa. The knight contrived to enter the count's 
 mansion in Cordova, whilst the count was at a 
 feast in another palace. To save the lady's 
 honour he brought his sister with him, a young 
 and lovely girl, that she might be present and 
 hear him take a last farewell of her he adored 
 and loved too well. 
 
 " A vindictive slave betrayed them to the 
 count, who burning with frantic passion and mad 
 jealousy, came suddenly upon them. Impelled by 
 the boiling fury in his veins he stabbed the knight 
 to the heart, and then the sister, and afterwards his 
 wretched wife, who fell on her knees before him. 
 Not satisfied with this terrible revenge, the count 
 
 I 2
 
 172 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 became a demon. With liis drawn sword he 
 rushed through the mansion, slaying and wound- 
 ing all whom he encountered, without any dis- 
 tinction of age or sex. It is said he slew on that 
 night, fifteen persons of his household — " 
 
 " Merciful heavens !" exclaimed Magnus, with 
 a shudder, at the thought that he was descended 
 on the mother's side from such a fiend. " Surely 
 he suffered for his fearful crime." 
 
 " No," returned Don Tomas, calmly. " You 
 must not judge us by your country's standard 
 of crime. Revenge, according to the maxim of 
 the age, was the duty of an injured husband. 
 Thouoh he fled after committing his terrible 
 revenge, the king shortly granted him a full 
 pardon. He returned to Cordova, and after- 
 wards highly distinguished himself against the 
 Moors—" 
 
 " Don Tomas,'' interrupted our hero, not at 
 all in love with his fierce maternal ancestor, the 
 Count de Cabra, " may I request your advice as 
 to how I should proceed to recover proofs of my
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 173 
 
 mother's marriage ; for thongh you know this 
 marriage took place, your testimony, even if given 
 in a court of justice, would lead to nothing." 
 
 " What you say is very true," answered the 
 Spaniard, after a few moments' thought ; " and 
 yet I would willingly rescue Donna Fernanda's 
 memory from the slightest suspicion or stain. 
 Though her sire, the Count de Cabra, who is now 
 seventy years of age, wishes to bury in oblivion 
 all memory of his daughter's sacriligious marriage 
 with a heretic, I feel differently. Did the count 
 know that a child of Donna Fernanda existed, and 
 was it in his power to obtain possession of that 
 child, and he found that child to be a protestant, 
 I feel satisfied he would destroy it without pity 
 or remorse for the act, for he is one of the most 
 bigoted nobles in Spain. The Duke is also one 
 of the king's ministers and especial favourites, 
 and acknowledged by the Count de Cabra as his 
 heir. He is married, and has two sons ; and a 
 daughter, remarkable for her beauty. However, 
 at this moment," continued Don Tomas, " I can-
 
 174 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 not precisely see how to advise you to act. I am 
 besides a prisoner, and know not bow my freedom 
 is to be obtained." 
 
 " Yon will, no doubt, be exchanged," said 
 Magnus O'More. 
 
 Durinfj the remainder of the voyasre to Lisbon, 
 Don Tomas became greatly attached to the young 
 lieutenant, appearintjj to have transferred the love 
 he had felt for Fernanda to her son.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 175 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Teri3sichore and her j)rize lay to for a few- 
 hours in Gibraltar bay, and there, to Magnus 
 O'More's great joy, they were joined by the first 
 lieutenant and a dozen of the men, then conva- 
 lescent; they proceeded to Lisbon with their 
 prize. The Mahonesa was purchased by the 
 English Government, though her hull was terribly 
 disfigured ; but, strange to say, she never under- 
 went a thorough repair, and therefore only had 
 a nominal existence in the British navy. 
 
 Don Tomas was almost immediately exchanged, 
 and parted from our hero with regret. " I shall 
 do all in my power," said the Spaniard, in parting, 
 " to discover whether the unfortunate Harold
 
 176 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 Fitzwilliam still exists in the dungeons of the 
 Inquisition. I will also endeavour to trace some 
 of the other individuals concerned in that sad 
 drama ; hitherto I had no motive to urge me to 
 his course ; but now it is diiferent," and pressing 
 our hero's hand, they separated. Lieutenant 
 Templeton, though he rejoined his ship, was still 
 very weak from the effects of the fever. Magnus 
 commuuicated to his friend the stiange discovejy 
 he had made, giving him Don Ayalda's history 
 of the marriage of his parents. 
 
 George Templeton was astonished at the un- 
 expected manner in which the discovery was made, 
 but he was not at all surprised that a marriage 
 had taken place. 
 
 " It was, no doubt, to discover traces of his 
 lost friend, Harold Fitzwilliam," said Lieutenant 
 Templeton, " that your fiither made those fre- 
 quent journeys into Spain ; and his lowness of 
 spirits proceeded from his being constantly baffled. 
 With Don Tomas's assistance you may gain some 
 clue to the fate of all those persons who have so
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 177 
 
 mysteriously disappeared ; whilst this war lasts 
 you can do nothing ; besides it would be dangerous 
 for you to encounter your bigoted and revengeful 
 grandfather. We are going in a day or two to 
 Gibraltar, to get repairs done ; you are gaining 
 laurels in your profession, do not let your mind 
 rest too much upon this subject, you are very 
 young, and can afford a few years to your pro- 
 fession." 
 
 Soon after this conversation, the Terpsichore 
 proceeded to Gibraltar ; but it was not till the 
 fourteenth of December that the ship was fully 
 repaired, and ready for active service. During 
 that time her officers had a very gay time ashore. 
 Magnus O'More giving way to the natural gaiety 
 of his disposition, sanguine that in time he would 
 establish his undoubted right to the name he bore, 
 no longer appeared absorbed in gloomy thought. 
 
 Young, handsome, and gay, with a character 
 for gallantry, courage, and skill, O'More was 
 looked upon as one of fortune's pots, whose 
 career promised welL He became a prodigious 
 
 I 5
 
 ]78 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 favourite with the fair sex iu GiLraltar, and 
 there were many very beautiful girls, daughters 
 of the uaval and military officers stationed there ; 
 btill, though very partial to female societj', his 
 heart remained untouched : he frequently thought 
 of Norah O'.N'ore, and her lovely features and 
 graceful form often floated before his vision in 
 imagination ; she had made a deeper impression 
 on his mind than he was then aware of. 
 
 Captain Bowen was excpedingly anxious to put 
 to sea. Notwithstanding that every means was 
 arlopted, the fever still continued, and laid up 
 many of the men, so that when the Terpsichore 
 sailed, on the fourteenth of December, she was 
 still short twenty-four men, four boys, and three 
 officers. On the sixteenth of December, the 
 British frigate was lying to some sixteen leagues 
 to the westward of Cadiz. The look-outs were 
 very vigilant, for all expected to sight some of 
 the homeward bound ships returning to Spain 
 from the colonies. To our hero's intense vex- 
 ation, Phelim McFarlane was left behind in
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 179 
 
 Gibraltar with fever, and he missed this faithful 
 fellow exceedingly. 
 
 " It blew uncommonly hard last night, Magnus," 
 observed the first lieutenant, joining our hero, 
 who was walking the deck ; '^ you must have 
 felt it pretty sharplj\" 
 
 " Yes, for four hours it blew in right 
 earnest, and I do not think it is over, though it 
 has lulled. We have not shaken out a reef 
 
 yet." • 
 
 They were then under close reefed topsails. 
 
 " It's very strange," said Lieutenant Templeton 
 " how this fever clings to the ship, — there are five 
 more men attacked." 
 
 " I was uncommonly vexed to hear the sur- 
 geon say so," said our hero, " I was in hopes we 
 were free, as we left Gibraltar without a man ill, 
 and every precaution taken. I would not let 
 even Phelim McFarlane come, though he was 
 mending ; we should have had no more of it, as 
 Captain Bowen was so anxious about the men." 
 
 " A sail ho !" shouted the look-out.
 
 180 OUK BLUE JA<-KETS, 
 
 li 
 
 Where away," exclaiaied O'More, taking a 
 glass. 
 
 Captain Bo wen came on deck, and all turned 
 their glasses upon the object seen from aloft. 
 In hali-an-hour Captain Bowen declared he 
 could make her out, and that she was a frigate. 
 Orders were given to shake out the reefs, and hoist 
 the topgallant sails. The breeze was strong; but 
 the Terpsichore was well able to carry the canvas 
 put upon her. 
 
 "That's a French frigate, O'More," observed 
 Lieutenant Templeton. 
 
 " I am almost certain I know her," said Mag- 
 nus, after a steady survey of her through his 
 glass "lam sure it's the Yes tale, the vessel 
 we chased some months ago ; she belonged to 
 Rear-Admiral Villeneuf's squadron, then going 
 from Brest to Toulon." 
 
 "You are right, Mr. O'More," said Captain 
 Bowen ; " it is the Yestale." 
 
 This announcement ran through the frigate's 
 crew, and all hands were on the alert. Before
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 181 
 
 twelve o'clock it was fully ascertained to be the 
 Vestale, and a sudden shift of wind gave the 
 Terpsichore a decided advantage. Still all felt 
 considerable anxiety, knowing that their masts 
 were sprung, and that they woidd not be able to 
 come up with the French frigate before the port of 
 Cadiz w^ould afford her a refuge ; but to their in- 
 tense satisfaction, just as it grew dark the Vestale 
 suddenly hauled up her courses, and lay-to. 
 
 Young Spencer, who was standing by our hero, 
 cut a caper for joy. " By Jove, sir, she is going to 
 wait for us, how polite !" 
 
 " Why, Polly," said the marine captain, join- 
 ing the group," "you seem as pleased as if you 
 had received an invitation out to dinner." 
 
 " Faith, Captain Merton," returned the mid- 
 shipman, " invitations to a good dinner are rare . 
 but mind me if you don't get pepper and spice to 
 your mess to-night." 
 
 " Ah, you were praying for something like this, 
 you young fire-brand," observed the jolly marine, 
 laughing.
 
 182 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 This memorable au J well-fought action betweou 
 the Terpsichore ani the Vestale, two frigates 
 nearly equal iu tonnage and guns, though the 
 latter had great superiority in men, commenced 
 about midnight, and continued, at intervals, the 
 entire night. Before morning it blew a heavy 
 gale, with very thick weather. As the day 
 dawned, the ships continued the strife, though 
 both wind and sea were rapidly driving them 
 upon the Spanish coast, which they did not per- 
 ceive. Many men were killed on the decks of 
 the Terpsichore ; her first lieutenant wounded, 
 also two midshipmen, and Captain Bowen for a 
 moment stunned by a splinter ; rigging and sails 
 awfully cut up ; but it was very apparent to all 
 on board that the Vestale was in a much worse 
 state, — her bulwarks were in splinters, her top- 
 gallant masts all knocked out of her, and her 
 rigging flying in streamers. Still, in spite of the 
 heavy gale and sea, a furious cannonade was con- 
 tinued. 
 
 As yet Magnus O'More had remained un-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 183 
 
 touclied. After carrying his frieud, Templetoii, 
 belo«-, and ascertaining that his wound, though 
 severe, was not dangerous, he returned upon 
 deck, and cheered on the men to fresh exertions. 
 Towards evening the fog lifted, but the gale 
 continued, and they perceived that they were 
 dangerously close to the shore, to the northern 
 and westward of the reefs of San Sebastian. A 
 terrible broadside from the English frigate brought 
 down the foremast, with all its hamper, over the 
 decks of the Vestale. A wild cheer testified the 
 joy of those on board the Terpsichore ; but the 
 Vestale men fought with furious despair, as their 
 masts were tottering. At length a well-directed 
 broadside decided the action, and immediately after 
 down came the tricolour, and tho Vestale surren- 
 dered. 
 
 Captain Bowen was standing leaning upon the 
 companion, for he sufi'ered considerably from the 
 blow of the splinter, looking up at his sails flut- 
 tering in ribbons, and his spars in si^linters, the 
 bulwarks shattered, and his three masts badly
 
 184 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 injured. It was blowing extremely hard, and a 
 violent sea ran in upon the reef of San Sebastian. 
 The decks were slippery witlj blood, and numbers 
 were carried below wounded. Only one boat, the 
 cutter, remained fit for service. 
 
 " Lieutenant O'More,'' said the commander, 
 " you had better take the cutter, board the 
 Vestale, and anchor her, if you cannot manage 
 otherwise, till we can take you in tow ; we are 
 awfully cut up. Take the master with you, and 
 a good crew. I feel very weak at present, and 
 must see about getting to-rights, and keeping 
 further off shore." 
 
 The cutter was soon over the side, and our hero 
 and his companions leaped in, well-armed; the 
 sea was exceedingly rough, and as the cutter was 
 urged through the water, Mr. Elder, the master, 
 observed, — 
 
 " It will be a ticklish job, Mr. O'More, and if 
 it comes on to blow harder she will assuredly go 
 ashore." 
 
 '*By Jove!" exclaimed the midshipman named
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 185 
 
 Spencer, " there goes her mainmast aud mizeu ;" 
 and, true enough, both went over the side, as the 
 frigate rolled heavily in the seas that ran in, and 
 broke like thunder on the shoals. 
 
 " We must anchor her," said our hero ; ' give 
 way, my hearties. The sooner we are on board 
 the better; for I strongly suspect we shall get 
 little help from the crew." 
 
 " They will all surely perish, if she takes the 
 ground," remarked Mr. Elder. 
 
 The next moment they were alongside, and 
 scrambled up upon deck, when a scene of the 
 most horrible confusion was beheld. The deck 
 was slippery with gore ; the dead and wounded 
 side by side, in all directions ; and, what 
 was even more terrible to witness, the survivors 
 of the crew were lying about, amongst the dying 
 and the dead, in a state of intoxication. 
 
 " Every soul will perish !" cried our hero, " if 
 we are not quick, Mr. Elder." 
 
 The master and seamen of the Terpsichore 
 hurried to let go an anchor; but returned to
 
 186 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Lieutenant O'More, who was vainly endeavouring 
 to rouse some of the crew less drunk than the 
 rest. 
 
 " There is not a single anchor left," said Mr. 
 Elder; "our situation is fearful." 
 
 "Nevertheless," said Lieutenant O'More, "we 
 must bring her up someway ; these Lrutes are 
 insensible to their situation, and those less in- 
 toxicated sullen as bears." 
 
 After incredible exertions, Mr. Elder, our hero 
 the midshipman, and the seven seamen, brought 
 the Vestale up in six fathoms' water. They then 
 anxiously turned their eyes upon the Terpsichore, 
 for if she could not weather the rocks of San 
 Sebastian she would certainly go ashore ; but, 
 they saw that after a gallant and anxious struggle, 
 she gained an offing. 
 
 "Thank goodness, the good ship is safe," cried 
 our hero to the master, " and our craft here holds 
 on." 
 
 " To morrow, if the weather moderates," said 
 Mr. Elder, "she will, no doubt, stand in, and
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 187 
 
 row US off; but we shall have a bad time of it 
 with these drunken, unruly brutes." 
 
 " { spoke to one of the lieutenants," said 
 Magnus O'More ; "but he only shrugged his 
 shoulders, and said the first lieutenant was below, 
 and I had better speak to him. I went down 
 to do so, but he had locked himself in. I had a 
 good mind to kick open the door ; but come down,, 
 I will make the steward find some refreshment 
 for ourselves and men." 
 
 A wretched night of anxiety was passed by the 
 prize crew. The drunken crew continued tlieir 
 brutal intoxication, and the officers kept to them- 
 selves. In the morning, to their infinite joy, they 
 beheld the Terpsichore standing in, and shortly 
 after she anchored in ten fathoms' water. 
 
 The crew of the Vestale would give no help 
 whatever. However, the captors made an effort 
 to get a tow-rope on board the Vestale, which, after 
 •considerable delay and difficulty, was accom- 
 plished. Then the Terpsichore cut her cable, and 
 made sail, with the dismasted prize in tow. 
 
 Just as Lieutenant O'More and the master
 
 188 OUll BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 were cono-ratulatino: each other on their chance 
 of being extricated from their perilous situation, 
 the bend of the stream cable, to which a hawser 
 was attached, got foul of a rock ; and, after vain 
 efforts to free it, the crew of the Terpsichore were 
 forced to cast themselves off. 
 
 " This is confoundedly provoking," exclaimed 
 J;he master, wiping the perspiration from his fore- 
 head, and stamping on the deck. 
 
 " Very," said Magnus ; " but let go the other 
 anchor you fortunately prepared." 
 
 The men ran forward, and let go, — to this an- 
 chor the ship rode ; but an intensely dark night 
 came on, and again the British frigate stood off 
 to sea. 
 
 " We are in a fix, Mr. O'More," observed the 
 master, fatigued and exceedingly uneasy, as the 
 darkness increased ; '^ these drunken rascals now 
 show signs of something more than indifference, 
 — it is not unlikely, as they get sober, but that 
 they will rise and turn on us ; and what can seven 
 of us do ?" 
 
 As Mr. Elder spoke, a peculiar whistle was
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 189 
 
 heard in the fore part of the ship, followed by 
 another aft. 
 
 " Call our men here at once, Spencer," said 
 O'More. 
 
 As the men mustered, there was a sudden rush 
 of the crew of the Yestale, — some of them 
 opening battle lanterns, and hanging them up in 
 the rigging. 
 
 Our hero perceived by their light that the men 
 were led on to attack them by the sulky lieute- 
 nant he had spoken to several times, and who, as 
 he rushed towards him, regarded him with a 
 very savage expression of countenance. Shooting 
 the first man that made a blow at him, our hero 
 made a rush at the French lieutenant, who dis- 
 charged a pistol at him within a few inches, but 
 it hung fire fortunately ; the next instant our 
 hero struck him to the deck with a blow of his 
 cutlass, making a desperate gash in his face, but 
 the rush of men from all quarters drove Lieutenant 
 O'More— who strove desperately to save the gal- 
 lant young Spencer — and the prize crew back.
 
 190 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 One of the Terpsichore's men fell, which greatly 
 exasperated the master, who fought valiantly. 
 Just then the lieutenant cut down by O'More 
 staggered to his feet, shouting out, " cut thera 
 down ! pitch them overboard !" Some thirty or 
 more, blinded by drink, and savage from defeat, 
 made a rush, and, notwithstanding Lieutenant 
 0']\Iore's desperate resistance, cutting and 
 wounding many, they seized him, and with savage 
 oaths hurled him overboard, clear of the bul- 
 warks, and into the dark and agitated sea, lash- 
 ing against the sides of the frigate. 
 
 Perfectly conscious, and but little hurt, our hero 
 pitched into the sea, escaping by great good for- 
 tune striking against several of the spars, held to 
 the sides by the rigging — for the crew of the 
 Vestale had flung overboard parts of the wreck 
 that cumbered the decks. . 
 
 Being a first-rate swimmer, O'More rose to the 
 surfjice, and kicking off his shoes, he struck out 
 with the intention of going with the seas and 
 wind, and thus, perhaps, reaching the land, but
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 191 
 
 almost immediately he came against a huge spar. 
 The night was intensely dark ; he grasped the 
 spar and listened — the shouts and cries on board 
 the frigate had ceased, he saw only a huge, black 
 mass, and could hear nothing but the roar of the 
 wind, and the thunder of the surge on the rocky 
 shore. 
 
 Our hero easily surmised that the spar he was 
 on was made fast to the Vestale by some ropes. 
 Getting astride on what he conjectured was the 
 jibboom, he took out his knife, and, groping for 
 the ropes, found the one that held the spar to 
 the frigate. This he cut, and immediately he 
 began drifting to the shore. It was the month of 
 December, and bitterly cold, but, knowing that 
 the shore was not very distant, he kept himself 
 upon the spar till the furious din of the surf satis- 
 tied him that he was near. He then quitted the 
 spar, as there was almos t certain destruction if the 
 spar should fall on him on being thrown on the 
 rocks. 
 
 He felt there was a tremendous sea rolling in
 
 192 CUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 on tliat iron-bound coast, but select a favourable 
 spot lie could not, for all he could see was a lofty- 
 long line of dark coast, and t^e white foam of the 
 breakers, as it was hurled into the air. Recom- 
 mending himself to Providence, he felt himself 
 lifted up by a huge wave, hurled forward with 
 wonderful velocity, and, by one of those provi- 
 dential circumstances, lifted clear over a reef 
 of sharp rocks, and thrown with considerable 
 violence upon a shingly beach. Making violent 
 efforts to resist the back water, he contrived 
 to scramble higher up, and the next wave 
 only partially covered him. Benumbed and ex- 
 hausted, he crawled a few paces further, and then 
 lay down, without the power to move further. 
 Fortunately, the first wave that lifted him over 
 the reef was by far the mightiest, so that only 
 the spray of the other fell upon him ; and thus 
 he was saved. * 
 
 •Excepting the individual exploits of our hero, the capture and 
 loss of the Vestale is strictly correct.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORF. 193 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Magnus O'More, the moment he recovered his 
 strength a little, rose. A darker night it was 
 scarcely possible to witness. Exerting himself 
 to get the circulation of blood into his be- 
 numbed body, he kept moving, and at length 
 scrambled up behind a huge mass of rock, whicli 
 completely sheltered him from the biting wind. 
 It would shortly be daylight, so he, turned his 
 thoughts upon his situation, and on the best 
 manner of acting. He made no doubt but that 
 the Terpsichore would stand in with the day- 
 light, and that probably the men had managed to 
 repair some of the boats, and would board the 
 Vestale, and he most anxiously hoped that the 
 
 VOL. I. S.
 
 194 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 lives of the master, young Spencer, and tlie men 
 would be spared. The treacherous, unmanly, 
 and base conduct of the officers and men of the 
 Vestale was unprecedented, and should be se- 
 verely punished. 
 
 It occurred to our hero that if he could 
 change garments with one of the French 
 seamen cast ashore, many, no doubt, being- 
 washed on to the rocks, he could escape being- 
 made prisoner by the Spaniards. Full of this 
 idea, when the dawn made he left his shelter 
 and proceeded along the beach. He soon per- 
 ceived several bodies lying on the edge of high 
 water mark, and came up with one whose left 
 arm had been torn off by a shot, and whom he 
 jadged, by his uniform, must have been an officer 
 of the Yestale. These bodies were melancholy 
 evidences of ruthless war ; but there was no time 
 for reflection, daylight was increasing rapidly, 
 when he came suddenly upon the body of a tall, 
 powerful looking young man, who evidently had 
 been an officer in the French marines ; he was
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 19o 
 
 in uniform, and, as well as Magnus O'More could 
 judge, had died from a contusion on the head — 
 perhaps had been knocked overboard by the fall 
 of the masts, and left to perish in the confasion 
 that prevailed. 
 
 The poor fellow was lying on his back, between 
 two high rocks. Throwing off his own garments. 
 O'More at once attired himself in those of the 
 marine officer, drawing the body high up, out 
 of reach of the next tide, that it might get chris- 
 tian burial. Having completely dressed himself 
 in the drenched and soiled clothes, he proceeded 
 to climb a high rock in order to get a view sea- 
 ward. The breeze had slackened, and the sun- 
 beams broke cheerfally through the wintry sky, 
 but no sooner did he obtain a clear view along- 
 the coast and to seaward, than he uttered an ex- 
 clamation of profound vexation, as he recognized 
 the Vestale, with spars rigged as masts, 
 sails set, and French colours flying, with several 
 Spanish boats towing her within the shoals to- 
 wards Cadiz. Looking seaward he recognized
 
 196 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 the British frigate, under full sail, in vain pur- 
 suit. This was a most vexatious sight to Magnus 
 O'More, and completely puzzled him how he 
 should act. He was not at all afraid of being 
 detected in his character of a Frenchman, but he 
 was without funds ; when leaving the Terpsichore 
 he had not even his watch. He had hoped that 
 his ship would have anchored near to the prize, 
 and that by means of a boat he should have man- 
 aged to get on board — now that was out of the 
 question. 
 
 However, his was not a nature to despond, so 
 trusting to his good fortune to help him, and 
 grateful to providence for his most unexpected 
 escape from almost certain death, when hurled 
 over the bulwarks of the Vestale, he descended 
 the roclv, and advanced towards a number of men 
 whom he saw on the beach pulling up the dead 
 bodies, and collecting the spars and rigging the 
 gale had washed upon the beach. To proceed to 
 Cadiz now the Vestale had a chance of g-ettinof 
 there, would lead to his detection and imprison-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 197 
 
 ment; he therefore walked on to the beach, where 
 the peasantry seemed very intent in stripping 
 the dead, and burying the bodies. 
 
 Approaching four men collecting materials, he 
 at once attracted their attention, and they 
 looked doubtfully at him, each having their long 
 knives in their hands. Bat Magnus very quietly 
 accosted them, speaking their own language, and 
 requesting to know how far it was to the next 
 village. The men seemed exceedingly sur- 
 prised at hearing their own language so well 
 spoken, and one of them asked, "are you 
 French ?" Magnus was of course obliged to reply 
 in the affirmative, and to tell them that he had 
 come from the French ship which they could still 
 see, going slowly along shore. 
 
 "Ah! Christos ! that is good," said the 
 Spaniards, " French, good people, they believe 
 in the blessed saints ! " each man making the 
 sign of the cross with his knife across his breast. 
 
 " But the English cursed heretics believe in 
 nothing, — if we had one here, we would treat
 
 198 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 liim thus/" and they drew the back of their knives 
 isignificantly across their bare brown throats. 
 
 Much obliged to them for this friendly hint, 
 Magnus again enquired how far it was to the next 
 village, as he was cold, wet, and hungry, and had 
 had a narrow escape from drowning, being 
 knocked over board, and had saved his life on a 
 !>par. 
 
 " You are not," said one of the men, " more 
 than a league or so from a very good village with 
 a first rate venta. The village is called Petri, 
 you cannot miss seeing the spire of the church, 
 after you get off the beach ; besides, you are not 
 more than five leagues from Cadiz, which no 
 doubt your ship will soon reach and laugh at 
 the heretic English." 
 
 Thanking them for their information, he left 
 them pursuing an occupation they were evidently 
 well accustomed to on that wild coast; he 
 traversed the beach, — ascended the bank, and got 
 upon a slight ascent, — true enough he perceived 
 a spire peeping above a plantation of some sort,
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 199 
 
 and saw tliat the land he had to traverse to reach 
 it was a dr}'^ and sandy soil, without cultivation, 
 and certainly with very little signs of vegeta- 
 tion. 
 
 It vas a fine open day, and the ray^ of even a 
 wintrj^ sun began to dry his garments. After 
 half an hour's walk he came upon a well-beaten 
 track, evidently leading from the hills to the vil- 
 lage. Along this he pursued his way, beginning 
 to feel that a good breakfast would not be a thing 
 to be despised ; but how to pay for it, was rather 
 startling ; at all events, come what would, he was* 
 resolved to eat it first, and think of payment 
 afterwards. 
 
 About a mile from the village the land showed 
 signs of cultivation, and very shortly after he 
 perceived the river on the banks of which the 
 village was situated. 
 
 It was a scattered place, with a few respectable 
 houses here and there, and in the middle stood 
 the venta, a tidy and tolerably large cottage. 
 Entering the house of entertainment, he was
 
 200 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 soon ill the kitchen, where he found two 
 females, one about eighteen or nineteen years of 
 age, exceedingly tastefully attired, and as she 
 turned round on hearing his steps, Magnus 
 perceived that she was very pretty, with jet black 
 hair and a dazzling pair of bright dark eyes. 
 The old woman had an iron ladle in her hand, 
 with which she was stirring the contents of a 
 huge iron pot, susi^ended over a blazing log fire, 
 the wood part of the frame evidently from some 
 good ship. ' 
 
 Both women looked at our hero with great 
 surprise. Magnus O'More, however, at once 
 addressed them, saying that ho had just been 
 washed ashore on a mast from a French ship, which 
 had fouo-ht a fierce fio'ht with an Eno-lish frisrate. 
 
 O O O w 
 
 "Ah! Santos," said the old woman, '• I hope 
 the French ship sunk the heretics, their souls 
 were lost already, so it little mattered what became 
 of their bodies. May an earthquake swallow 
 them all up, — just such an earthquake as I saw 
 forty years ago."
 
 AFLOAT Aim ASHORE. 201 
 
 The young woman, with, her dark Andalusian 
 eyes, fixed upon Magnus, whose tall fine figure 
 and handsome features seemed to please her 
 started forward, saying, 
 
 " Ah, Madre ! never mind earthquakes, of 
 which you are always dreaming, or heretics, 
 who, after all, are like ourselves in flesh and 
 blood, and let this stranger dry himself at the 
 fire, whilst I light one in the next room, and 
 then you can get him some dinner ready, for I am 
 sure he is both hungry and cold/' and placing a 
 stool by the fire, she gave him a glance from her 
 bright eyes, that wet and cold as he was, struck 
 an electric spark into his rather susceptible 
 heart. Ma^'nus thanked the maiden with a 
 smile and a compliment to her dark eyes, that 
 caused her to show her white and even teeth, and 
 then, with that light and gracefid^step, so fascina- 
 ting in the maidens of Andalusia, she hurried 
 into tlie next room to get it ready for a guest who 
 seemed to please her. 
 
 Mairnus O'More drew near the fire and seated 
 
 K 5
 
 202 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 liimself on the stool the young girl had placed 
 for him, and then he took a particular survey of 
 tlie old woman, whom he judged by her puckered, 
 shrivelled visage to be about eighty or ninety, and 
 Nvondered how it was possible she could be the 
 young girl's mother. 
 
 The object of his scrutiny having given a 
 scientific turn to the contents of the iron pot, 
 took out a ladle full, and after blowing it for a 
 moment or two, drank some, and then with the 
 word buono, retm'ned the rest to the pot. 
 
 '' I certainly will object to breakfasting upon 
 that mess,*' said Magnus, mentally. " In the 
 first place it smells horribly of garlic, and the 
 next, 1 do not like oLl women as tasters." 
 
 Having satisfied herself that her cookery was 
 getting on to her satisfaction, the old woman 
 leaning on the long iron ladle, turned to our hero, 
 whose wet clothes began to smoke from the heat 
 of the fire. 
 
 ** What became of your ship, Captanos ?" asked 
 the dame. " Eh, our men of the village went
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 203 
 
 down to the beacli, to see what was going on 
 after all the firing we heard." 
 
 '' Oh, they have taken her into Cadiz, I sup- 
 pose, by this time," returned the Lieutenant. 
 
 " But, my good woman," continued Magnus, 
 turning liimself round to dry his back, "What 
 can you give me to eat ? Now that I am getting 
 dry I begin to feel hungry." 
 
 '' To eat ! blessed saints," and she pointed 
 with her ladle to the bubbling pot. " Look at 
 that, — there's plenty of soup — and good soup 
 too?" 
 
 •• Yes," returned Magnus, " but unfortunately 
 1 do not like soup. I had to drink so much 
 water swimming ashore, — tliat I fear to take 
 ^oup." 
 
 "■ Santos Dios !" returned the old woman, 
 "' there's a fine cock and a piece of bacon in the 
 pot besides." 
 
 " How unlucky I am," returned our hero. 
 " Why we have lived on cocks on board our ship 
 tlie last three months, I I'callv do not think ]
 
 204 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 can look a cock in the face for the next three 
 months." 
 
 "Ah! Madonna! how's that?" demanded the 
 old woman, in great amazement. " Where did 
 all the cocks come from." 
 
 " We were short of provisions," said Magnus, 
 •with a smile ; " and were bringing home a cargo 
 of game cocks from a celebrated island where 
 these birds abound, and as 1 said being short of 
 provisions, — we were forced to eat all the cocks, 
 poor things." 
 
 " Madre !" muttered the old woman, " what a 
 strange cargo, how they must have crowed every 
 morning, enough to deafen you." 
 
 " The fact was," said our hero, looking serious, 
 " their very crowing condemned them — it was 
 frightful ; but cannot you give me an omelette?" 
 
 "Eh, Madonna !" returned the darac, "to have 
 an omelette we must have eggs, and unfortunately 
 we breed only cocks in this viUage," and the old 
 woman soused the ladle in, and fished up the 
 cock stewing in a very dubious mixture. " Fine
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 205 
 
 bird," said she; "he's old, but five hours' stewing 
 will make him tender." 
 
 Magnus kughed; but the door opening, he 
 saw the girl entering; "here's your daughter, 
 perhaps she may manage to get me something?" 
 
 " Daughter," said the old woman, laughing, 
 "you don't think .1 could have a daughter of 
 Juana's age; blessed saints be thanked, I have 
 reached my eighty-eighth year." 
 
 " By Jove, you are a remarkably fine old lady,' 
 said the lieutenant. 
 
 " What's to be done with this Senor Captanos," 
 said Juana's grandmother, " he says he don't 
 like soup." 
 
 " Well," returned the girl, with a smile, " per- 
 haps he has had too much soup, as our proverb 
 says : — Cada dio, gallina, amarga cocina." 
 
 "You are a charming girl, Juana," said our 
 hero, " that's precisely the case." 
 
 " Then I will cook you an omelette," she 
 answered, going to the cupboard.
 
 '1206 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 *' What !" screamed the old woman, '' take the 
 priest's eggs ? there are but nine, and he will 
 ■want them for his supper." 
 
 '• The priest, madre, is sure to have made a 
 good dinner at Chicalana, and this senor has had 
 neither breakftist nor dinner; come with me, 
 senor, there is a good fire in the little parlour, 
 nnd our worthy priest will not object to do with- 
 out 'his. omelette for once in a way." 
 
 The old woman growled, ''It's all very fine hi8 
 story of game cocks ; but ." 
 
 r\Iagnus lost the rest of the sentence, for h« 
 f"! lowed Juana into the parlour, closed the door, 
 ;ind putting his arm round the taper waist of the 
 Spanish girl, he said, '' I made a vow when cast 
 iifihore, to kiss the first pretty Spaniard I should 
 fall in Avith, and you certainly are the most 
 <:li:irming I shall meet here or anywhere ;" and 
 before Juana could jaevent him, he fulfilled his 
 Vow amply. 
 
 " Madonna I" cried Juana, with the rich colour
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 207 
 
 showing through her clear skin, '^ you forget 
 that I may have a lover, and that the nanda is a 
 lover's weapon if he saw you." 
 
 " I should care little for a dozen knives," re- 
 plied Magnus, " I would risk more than that for a 
 smile from your sweet eyes, so forgive me, I will 
 not be tempted again." 
 
 Juana laughed saying, *' a la mala costumbre, 
 que. Luego la Ferna ! for if Juan saw you 
 rhore would be blood." 
 
 Magnus troubled very little about the said 
 Juan and his nanda; he thought Jviana the 
 prettiest girl he had seen. 
 
 '• Do you know," said Juana, as she arranged 
 the table, «fec., " I think you are not much like a 
 Frenchman, you have more the look of a Spaniard, 
 in your eyes and complexion." 
 
 " Well, Juana, perhaps I have some Spanish 
 blood in me ; but I hope the priest will not order 
 you a penance for giving his omelette to a 
 lieretic." 
 
 "Heretic I" said the maiden, finishing laying
 
 208 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 the cloth, and keeping the table between her 
 and the young lieutenant; "why, the French 
 are not heretics, they worship the saints and the 
 blessed Madonna, like ourselves." 
 
 ** Yes, they did some time ago," answered our 
 hero ; " but now it's not the fashion to have any 
 religion: since they have cut off the poor king's 
 licad, there's no religion in France ; they worship 
 sweet bright eyes such as yours." 
 
 " Ah then, Frenchmen are very bad men," re- 
 torted Juana, with her sparkling eyes fixed upon 
 Magnus: "I must carefully avoid them, and 
 confess to- the priest that — ah," she added, 
 laughing, " do you keep quiet, and I will not 
 mind confession this time."' So saying, she quit- 
 ted the room, shaking her finger at the young 
 lieutenant. 
 
 Magnus O'More, finding his coat rather tight, 
 took it off, and was putting it before the fire to 
 dry, when he felt something in the breast pocket. 
 Putting in his hand he pulled out a pocket-book 
 with a silver clasp closing it. " Poor fellow !"
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 209 
 
 muttered the lieutenant, opening it, " he will 
 never want this again." His gaze then rested up- 
 on several letters, and a small envelope of silver 
 paper, tied with green silk ; within was a rich 
 tress of auburn hair with a locket and a cornelian 
 heart. "Alas! alas!" said Magnus, half aloud, 
 and becoming very serious, '^ this tells a sad tale, 
 a tress from a loved mistress, perhaps wife; there 
 is a heart to be pained yet," and he jjut back the 
 letters and the hair, first just looking at the ad- 
 dress on the back of the letters. They were 
 addressed, in a beautiful female hand, to Francois 
 Andre d'Almarde. 
 
 " It is not right," soliloquised our hero, after a 
 moment's thought, that the outpourings of a 
 fond heart should be read by a stranger; and 
 taking the letters he placed them on the fire, and 
 saw them and the tress of hair consumed. In 
 another fold of the pocket-book were several gold 
 and silver coins, and nearly two thousand francs 
 in paper money, of the revolutionary government. 
 ^' Well if I am forced to use any of this money,
 
 210 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 I will endeavour to make ample return for it ; 
 should I ever stumble upon any of the young 
 man's relatives — which is not at all probable." 
 Whilst thus soliloquising, the door of the room 
 opened, and a young man, somewhat singularly 
 attired, entered the room, making a low bow. 
 
 Magnus looked at the Spaniard, and he at him, 
 each with a considerable degree of curiosity. 
 The Spaniard was about the middle height, slender, 
 but a sinewy good figure, though swarthy as a 
 Moor ; his features were good, and altogether he 
 was a very well-looking youth ; he wore a short 
 brown jacket, the arms and back of which were 
 inlaid with cloth of various colours ; but scarlet 
 and yellow predominated. His calzones were of 
 black velvet and open at the knee, these and 
 gaily embroidered leggings of calf skin lacing up 
 the outside of the leg completed his attire ; in his 
 hand he held a conical hat with a very capacious 
 brim. After a full survey of our hero, herald — 
 *' Seuor, I am the chief muleteer of Chicalana, 
 and have a calese at that town. Dame Mara says
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 211 
 
 you are going to Cadiz because your ship is gone 
 there, if so I can guide you, and give you a seat 
 in my calese." 
 
 " Why, my good fellow," said Magnus, "Cadiz 
 is only a few miles from here." 
 
 " True, senor, so it is,'' returned the muleteer, 
 *' if you could go as the bird flies ; but there is a 
 great salt marsh, and the broad estuary of the 
 Petri river to cross ; but you cannot pass them, 
 you must go by Chicalana and Isla, both large 
 towns." 
 
 Our hero thought for a moment, and looking 
 up, said, ''Very good, Juan, I will go to Cadiz with 
 you. I suppose I can purchase some garments at 
 Chicalana, these are soaked with salt water, I can 
 scarcely get them on again." 
 
 " Dios ! senor, to be sure you can ; but how 
 did you know my name was Juan ? Carambo! it's 
 odd." 
 
 '' Not at all," returned the lieutenant, resuming 
 his coat, " I fancy most Spaniards are called Juan 
 or Carlos, so I made a guess."
 
 212 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Juan rubbed the back of his head, and looked 
 hard at our hero ; he appeared mystified. '^Now, 
 Juan," continued the lieutenant, " how are we to 
 get to Chicalana ? is tliat the name of the place 
 where you keep your mules V 
 
 ''Calese, senor," returned Juan, "I have my 
 mules here ; you can ride one of them to 
 Chicalana." 
 
 '' Very good, that's settled," returned our hero ; 
 " now tell me what brought so smart a muleteer 
 to this little village ? — to see Juana, I suppose ?" 
 
 " Carambo, senor," muttered the muleteer, ''you 
 seem to know all our names, — how's that?" and 
 he looked rather uneasy at the careless lieutenant. 
 
 '' Nothing more natm*al, amigo. I call all the 
 men Juan, and the feminine of Juan is Juana, I 
 should fancy, a very pretty nice girl is Juana, 
 and a kiss from her sweet lips is worth travelling 
 to this part of the world for." 
 
 " Santos Dios, senor !" vehemently interrupted 
 the muleteer, looking savage, "I should like to 
 see any one attempt to kiss Juana."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 213 
 
 " So should I, Juan," said the lieutenant, 
 coolly, " she is a deuced deal too pretty for that. 
 Ah, here is the maiden herself, with eyes like a 
 gazelle, and a step like a fairy ; you are a lucky 
 fellow, Juan, you are, indeed." 
 
 The muleteer looked daggers ; his eyes ran over 
 the tall powerful figure of the lieutenant, and then 
 looked at the gay ribbons streaming from 
 the knees of his calzones, and he bit his lip 
 as Juana entered the room, carrying a smoking 
 omelette and some other things on a tray. Juan 
 made way for ihe girl, and cast on her a glance 
 of bitter rage as he perceived that she had 
 made some trifling addition to her attire, and 
 settled her abundant glossy hair. 
 
 ''Ah!" muttered the muleteer, ''this cursed 
 Hercules of a Frenchman, with his handsome face, 
 pleases her. Carambo," and his hand was 
 plunged into his vest till it rested on the handle 
 of his nanda. 
 
 " What are you muttering about, Juan ?" 
 asked Juana, after placing the things on the
 
 214 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 tabic. " Have you made a bargain to take this 
 senor to Chicalana and to Cadiz ? If so, we can 
 all go together." 
 
 " You had better stay till the day after," said 
 Juan, almost ferociously. '' The senor will want 
 the spare mule." 
 
 *' Eh, Madonna ! I know that." 
 
 Our hero's ears were open, but we must con- 
 fess he felt so exceedingly hungry, and the smell 
 of the omelette dressed by the pretty Spaniard 
 was so tempting, that it was rapidly disappearing 
 under his attack. 
 
 " But, Juan," continued Juana, pouring out 
 and handing Magnus O'More a glass of clear, 
 sparkling wine of Xeres, and at the same time 
 giving a side-glance out of her sparkling eyes at 
 the enraged muleteer, '^you or the senor can take 
 me up behind." 
 
 ** I will do that, Juana, with the greatest plea- 
 sure," said Magnus. " I would rather have your 
 charming arm round my waist than a twelve- 
 month's pay."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 215 
 
 " Carambo, senor!" exclaimedJuan, losing all 
 his forbearance, " I want no one to take care of 
 my intended," and with a flashing eye and 
 a flushed cheek he walked from the room, with 
 what he intended should be a very stately step. 
 Juana laughed heartily. She shook her head at 
 the lieutenant, and followed her lover. 
 
 *' Well, by Jupiter AmmonI that girl's eyes 
 bewilder me," muttered our hero, making a de- 
 termined and final attack upon the omelette. 
 But he was not destined to complete the demoli- 
 tion without another interruption, for the door 
 opened, and the portly form of a j)riest, with one 
 of those huge, bat-like sombreros on his head, 
 entered the room. The padre gave a ver} sig- 
 nificant sniff", and then a look at the small re- 
 mains of the nine eggs forming the omelette, and 
 heaving a heavy sigh, whilst taking off" his 
 sombrero, he said, " God save you, my son, and 
 increase your appetite." 
 
 "Ah!" thought Magnus, "this is the priest 
 who was to have eaten the omelette. Thank
 
 216 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 goodness there is not a shadow of it left."" 
 He swallowed the last morsel, and then said, 
 
 " Thank you, padre ; as you may perceive, mj 
 appetite is good, but there remains little to gra- 
 tify it." 
 
 " My son," observed the priest, seating himself, 
 " this is a poor place ; you cannot expect Malaga 
 raisins will grow on a rock. But, my son, you 
 speak the language like a native of a distant pro- 
 vince, though they tell me you are French — there- 
 fore I suppose you belong to the frigate that was 
 dismasted by those heretics, the English." 
 
 "And yet, my good padre," said Magnus, 
 looking into the small eyes, and big, jolly, fat, red 
 ' face of the priest, " these same heretic English 
 pay respect to all religions, whilst the French 
 desecrate all places of worship, and drive their 
 priests from their flocks." 
 
 The priest crossed himself devoutly, muttering 
 various scraps of Latin, but Juana drove away all 
 his pious thoughts by entering with a huge bowl 
 of the famous cock broth, a leg and a wing of the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 217 
 
 said bird, and a plate of onions and garlic, 
 which she placed before the priest. 
 
 " I am afraid, padre," observed our hero, with a 
 side-look at Juana, '' that I have made free with 
 your dinner ?" 
 
 " No, my son," returned the padre, tucking a 
 napkin under his chin, " I have, thanks to the 
 blessed saints, dined well. I come here once a 
 week from Chicalana, and when the labours of the 
 day are over I regale this poor body with an 
 omelette. If you enjoyed it, you are heartily 
 welcome, for my pretty penitent here tells mo 
 that you were eight hours in the water — and, 
 verily, the water is cold this time of year." 
 
 The lieutenant looked at Juana, who was 
 smiling, behind the padre's back ; so he made no 
 remark about the tremendous time the worthy 
 priest mentioned respecting his being in the 
 water. In the meantime the priest put a plentiful 
 supply of garlic into the broth, and refrained from 
 uttering a word till he had finished it. Wiping his 
 chin, he then said, turning, to our hero, '' My son,, 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 I am now going to the chapel ; doubtless you will 
 be glad to return thanks to the saints for your 
 miraculous preservation ? In an hour I shall be 
 ready." 
 
 *' Certainly, padre," returned our hero, " I 
 am deeply grateful to Providence. I will follow 
 you shortly." 
 
 The priest rose from his seat, resumed his 
 sombrero, and left the room. 
 
 The young man sat for more than half-an-hour 
 after the departure of the priest, sipping his wine, 
 and plunged in deep thought. He was now in 
 the countrv that gave birth to his mother — could 
 he by any possibility unravel the mystery of the 
 past? he felt a longing desire to visit her Spanish 
 home, but then his duty was to endeavour to 
 reach his ship, a difficult task. To do so, he must 
 make his way to Gibraltar or Lisbon. From this 
 train of thought he was roused by the entrance of 
 Juana ; this time she looked serious. 
 
 " What has clouded your bright eyes, Juana ?" 
 asked the lieutenant, rising and approaching
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 219 
 
 the maiden, but slie kept the table between 
 them, and said, 
 
 " Indeed, senor, you must be serious too, for 
 your liberty, perhaps your life, may be en- 
 dangered." 
 
 '^ I am so accustomed to that, Juana, that I 
 feel no apprehension ; do not let that fear chase 
 away your smiles, for I assure you there is more 
 danger in your eyes and lips than you dream of." 
 
 ''Ah, Madonna! leave my lips alone, and let 
 me tell you what I have heard. I am sure you 
 are not a Frenchman, — are you ?" 
 
 ''I would not tell you a story, Juana ; there- 
 fore I say I am not a Frenchman." 
 
 ". Ah, I knew it, you are English ; and how 
 strange it is, I feel such an interest in you ; 1 
 cannot account for it." 
 
 " I am delighted to hear it," said Magnus, 
 " for-" 
 
 " Madonna ! do not interrupt me whilst I tell 
 you all I have heard, and then you will see that 
 you are in real danger. 
 
 L 2
 
 220 OTJR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 ^^ Before daylight this morning mynncle, when 
 he heard all the firing, went down to the beach, 
 and an hour ago he came back. I was in the 
 kitchen, and he was telling my grandmother that 
 two great ships, English and French, were firing 
 all night, and that the French ship was dis- 
 masted, and several dead bodies were washed 
 upon the beach by the Gut Rocks. He was sitting 
 watching for daylight, he said, on a rock above 
 the beach, and just as it came light, he beheld a 
 man in a strange uniform go dovvn among the 
 rocks, and strip one of the bodies of the garments, 
 exchanged them for his own, which he threw into 
 a cleft of a rock." 
 
 " Your uncle, Juana, was a very sharp- 
 sighted individual.'' 
 
 '' He was not ten yards from the stranger," 
 returned the Spanish maiden. '* He then saw 
 the stranger go away, speak to some of the men 
 who had been coUe cting wreck, and then walk off 
 at a quick pace towards the village. My uncle 
 went down and pulled the stranger's clothes out
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 221 
 
 of the place they were put in, and saw that the 
 garments were those of an English officer. My 
 uncle knew them at once, for he served in the 
 navy, and was twice in England." 
 
 '' ' Eh, blessed Saints !' said my grandmother, 
 ' What became of the heretic Englishman after 
 robbing the dead.' 
 
 '''You cannot call it robbing the dead,' 
 answered my uncle. ' No doubt the Englishman 
 thought he would be safer in the garments of a 
 Frenchman than in his own.' " 
 
 ' ' Upon my word, Juana," observed our hero, 
 ''your uncle is perfectly right, and struck the 
 right nail on the head, as your Spanish proverb 
 says." 
 
 '' ' We have a man who says he is a French ' 
 officer in the other room,' said my grandmother. 
 ' What if he should be this heretic Englishman?' 
 
 " Just then Padre Ignatius came into the 
 kitchen, and senor, you see, when all the men 
 return from the wreck, you will surely be dis-
 
 222 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 covered, for of course I now know you are the 
 Englishman." 
 
 " Yes, my dear girl, I am," said Magnus, 
 *'and bless my stars at finding as kind a heart 
 caring for my safety." 
 
 " Madonna ! sen or, I am half English myself, 
 ''' and why should I not feel for you ?" 
 
 ''You half English?" returned the surprised 
 lieutenant, " why I am half Spanish. I wondered 
 at seeing you so fair. But how is this, Juana — was 
 your father an Englishman ?" 
 
 " 1^0, senor ; my mother is an English woman, 
 though she has never been in England since she 
 was nine years old. She married Jos^ Torridos, 
 but, persecuted by the vengeance of the great 
 Count de Cabra." 
 
 " Count de Cabra ! ' repeated Magnus with a 
 flush all over his features, and taking Juana's 
 hand, who was so surprised that she did not 
 attempt to get further off from her dangerous 
 guest.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 223 
 
 " Did you ever hear that name before ?" she 
 questioned. " Indeed, indeed, there is some 
 strange mystery about you. Do tell me? Do 
 you know the Count de Ca bra?' 
 
 '' No, Juana ; but he is my mother's father." 
 
 The young girl uttered a cry of surprise and 
 joy, and lifting the hand of the lieutenant, kissed 
 it, saying with much emotion, and in a tone of 
 great respect, ^ 
 
 '' Then you are the son of Fernanda of Cordova, 
 the rose of Andalusia. I knew there was some- 
 thing stirring in my heart towards you. Ah, 
 senor, if you only knew how my mother loved 
 her beautiful mistress," and the Spanish maiden 
 stepped back a pace or two, looking at Magnus 
 in a serious and thoughtful manner. 
 
 " Juana ! Juana !" exclaimed a loud voice 
 beneath the window, " if the senor does not 
 come quickly, the people will be all here, they 
 are coming over the hill." 
 
 " Madonna, Madonna ! how forgetful I have
 
 224 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 been ! " exclaimed the alarmed girl. " You must 
 go, senor, at once to Chicalana. You can 
 safely trust Juan ; he may be jealous, as all 
 Spaniards are ; but he is true. He will guide 
 you to Chicalana faithfully. If these men come 
 here, you cannot escape." 
 
 " But I must see you again, Juana ; I have so 
 much to say and to inquire," said Magnus, 
 eagerly. . 
 
 " Yes, yes ; you shall see me again, senor. 
 You can wait at Chicalana till to-morrow. I 
 shall be there. There, there — do go, or you will 
 be too late." 
 
 Magnus O'More, full of thought, followed 
 Juana into the kitchen. The old dame was 
 alone, most of the villagers having gone to the 
 chapel. Juana's grandmother looked very hard 
 at our hero ; he placed in her hand some silver 
 French money, — this seemed to please her, for 
 she muttered to herself, as he passed out into the 
 front of the house, — '^ Madonna ! he has an
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 225 
 
 honest look about him ; he can't be a heretic, and 
 robber of the dead." Juan was outside, holding 
 the mules, and extremely impatient ; he cast a 
 look of reproach upon Juana, who was very 
 serious ; and, going to the side of the muleteer, 
 she spoke to him, in a low voice, for a mo- 
 ment. 
 
 The muleteer replied, with much vehemence 
 of manner, and called upon the saints to gua- 
 rantee what he said, for which Juana rewarded 
 him with a kind smile, that made him quite gay. 
 
 '^ Farewell," said the lieutenant, with a motion 
 of his hand to Juana, — "remember!" — and 
 throwing himself on the mule, left the place in a 
 gallop. 
 
 Juana stood looking after them for a few mo- 
 ments ; her pretty, intelligent features wearing a 
 very thoughtful expression, as she said to herself, 
 " Madonna direct me, but I think I ought not to 
 see him again ; I have often heard mother say his 
 father was the handsomest cavalero in all Spain. 
 
 L 5
 
 226 OUB BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 No, I will not see liim again till I am beneatli my 
 mother's roof in Cadiz." So saying, with her 
 bright eyes fixed upon the ground, she re-entered 
 the venta.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 227 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Leaving the little village of Petri, tlie muleteer, 
 evidently much more contented now that the 
 lieutenant was away from Juana's fascinations, 
 led the way in a canter — our hero thinking a 
 great deal more of the Spanish maiden, and 
 what she had said on the subject of the Count de 
 Cabra, than the scenery, or the peculiarity of the 
 road they were traversing. The route, after 
 losing sight of the village, wound up the side of 
 a steep hill ; this ascent checked the muleteer's 
 speed, — pulling up his mule, he threw his leg 
 over the saddle, and sat looking at our hero for 
 several moments, and evidently with a degree of 
 satisfaction in his looks.
 
 228 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Magnus O'More was thinking, not of Juan 
 certainly, but of Juan a, and what he could do, 
 now that his foot was on Spanish soil, to unravel 
 the mystery of his parents' marriage ; and 
 Juana appeared as if well acquainted with the 
 incidents relating to that marriage. 
 
 '' Senor," said Juan, as our hero came up with 
 him, ''you had a most fortunate escape, — Caramho ! 
 they would have cut your throat," and he passed 
 his finger across his bare, muscular neck. " You 
 may thank Juana — " 
 
 " Yes," returned the lieutenant, looking up ; 
 " Juana is a sweet, pretty girl, and those bright 
 eyes of hers are as dangerous as her lips." 
 
 " Carambo, senor," said the muleteer, twisting 
 his moustache, and gaining another position on his 
 mule, ulio toiled up the hill; "I told you that 
 Juana is my intended spouse?'' 
 
 " It's very possible, my good fellow, and you're 
 a lucky fellow, too ; but your being betrothed to 
 Juana does not, by any means, lessen the bright- 
 ness of her eyes, or the sweetness of her lips."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 229 
 
 . *' Santos Dios ! senor," exclaimed Juan, un- 
 easily. " If you were an old woman, — vamos ; 
 but you are not an old woman ?" 
 
 " No ; thanks to the saints, Juan, I am neither 
 an old woman, nor an old man ; consequently I 
 admire your intended wife uncommonly, and you 
 ought to feel proud of her attractions." 
 
 Juan rubbed his chin, looking very much as if 
 he doubted Magnus O'More's reasoning. " But 
 tbll me, Juan ?" continued the lieutenant. " Come, 
 do not be looking sulky. If I did kiss Juana, it 
 could do her no possible harm." 
 
 " Blessed saints ! do you take me for an old 
 woman?" uttered Juan, giving his mule a smart 
 taste of his whip for a slight stumble. " Carambo ! 
 I'm a man, and a Sj^aniard ; and no man shall 
 kiss my intended." 
 
 " Unless she likes it, Juan," interrupted the 
 lieutenant, laughing ; " always permit the ladies 
 to judge what is right until after the matrimonial 
 noose is tied. You will make a very handsome
 
 230 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 couple ; I should like to be one of the guests at 
 your wedding." 
 
 " Body of the saints ! " muttered the muleteer. 
 ^' I will take care you shan't." 
 
 '' But tell me, Juan," continued the lieute- 
 nant. " Juana, of course, told you I was an 
 Englishman ; now, knowing that I am an Eng- 
 lishman and a heretic, how is it that you are so 
 willing to assist me ?" 
 
 The muleteer crossed himself first, and then 
 said, — ** Senor, for two reasons, — Juana's mother 
 has been a mother to me, she is English ; and 
 then Juana came to me, and says she, ' Juan, my 
 poor fellow, I'm afraid I can't be your wife.' 
 
 " ' Carambo ! ' I exclaimed, furious, ' that's 
 tlic doing of — of the Frenchman ; if it is I'll — ' " 
 
 " * Don't make a fool of yourself, Juan,' said 
 my intended, quite coolly. ' He's not a French- 
 man ; he's an English ofScer.' 
 
 " * Santos Dios ! he's the man who robbed the 
 <]cad/ said I.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOEE. 231 
 
 " ' If you say tliat again,' said Juana, shaking 
 her hand at me, and stamping her little foot; — 
 
 " She has a very pretty foot, senor," continued 
 the muleteer, smoothing his moustache. 
 
 " And ankle," added the lieutenant ; '^ and as 
 neat a waist to put an arm round as any maiden 
 in Andalusia." 
 
 '^ Senor, we were not talking of her waist." 
 
 "No," returned the lieutenant; "but if you 
 begin at the feet, you see, you naturally get to 
 the waist in time ; but we are nearly at the top 
 of the hill. How did your conversation with 
 Juana end ?" 
 
 " Why, senor, she told me plainly that if I 
 did not take the greatest care of you, and see 
 you safe under her mother's roof in Cadiz, she 
 would never be my wife. ' And if I see him safe 
 then?' asked I. 
 
 "'Well, there's my hand,' said she; 'it's 
 yours.' Caranibo ! senor, never fear. I'll take 
 care that you reach Cadiz safely ; and, to tell you 
 the truth, I would like you, if — if.—"
 
 232 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " I was an old woman ; eh, Juan ?" returned 
 Magnus, laughing merrily. " Cheer up, you're a 
 good lad, and you will be happy with your pretty 
 Juanayet; so push along." 
 
 The descent of the hill was, however, too steep 
 for speed, so the lieutenant commenced conversa- 
 tion again by asking the muleteer if Juana's 
 mother had not, many years ago, lived in 
 Seville. 
 
 " Yes, senor ; it was there she married Jose 
 Torridos. He was a native of Seville, and was a 
 man well-to-do ; but, some how, he offended his 
 lord, the great Count de Cabra, and made him 
 his enemy ; he drove him from Seville, and 
 ruined him. Juana's mother was put into the 
 Inquisition^ and only got out by an act of grace ; 
 for, senor, every prisoner was released who was 
 not a heretic ; they were kept for the last Auto 
 de Fe that will ever be in this country." 
 
 " Shame and disgrace to a Christian nation, to 
 permit so infamous and horrible a sight," said 
 ]\Iagnus, vehemently.
 
 AFLOAT AMD ASHORE. 233 
 
 ■ The muleteer crossed himself, and followed our 
 hero, who this time took the lead, his thoughts 
 resting upon the sufferings of those who had served 
 his parents. Having reached the foot of the hill, 
 they entered an extensive pine wood that skirted 
 the town of Chicalana ; to the right were the 
 heights of Barrosa, destined some years after- 
 wards to be celebrated as a spot where British 
 valour was conspicuous under the command of 
 General Graham. 
 
 Having traversed the wood, which appeared to 
 abound with game, they came out on a pleasant 
 place and at a short distance they perceived 
 Chicalana. As they entered the town, Magnus 
 reminded Juan that he was to pass for a French- 
 man, "but," said he, "if you can get me the 
 dress of a Spanish Senor, I will give you money 
 to purchase it, and when Juana comes w^ will 
 continue our way to Cadiz, for I have made up 
 my mind to go there." 
 
 " I will get you the garments you want, "replied 
 Juan, " but, if you take my advice, you will keep
 
 234 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 what you have got on, for though you speak 
 Spanish well, and have something of the Spanish 
 grandee about you, yet Frenchmen are now 
 everything in Spain, and you will be able to do 
 what you please as a French officer." 
 
 " Perhaps so," said Magnus. " I will remain 
 as I am then ; go to a good venta, by Jove! this 
 is but a dirty hole of a place." 
 
 Chicalana, though now a favourite summer 
 retreat of the gay folks of Cadiz, is nearly as 
 dirty and dilapidated a place as it was some sixty 
 years ago; and offers a very striking contrast 
 indeed to the handsome well paved streets of 
 Cadiz. Juan rode up to the front of the venta, 
 where he was ushered into a very indifferent 
 chamber heated by a badly ventilated stove. 
 
 Magnus was not a person to trouble himself 
 much about either the elegance of his accommoda- 
 tion, or the luxury of his food; provided the place 
 was clean and the food good, he required no more, 
 but he had yet to discover that inns and inn- 
 keepers in Spain, were of /the very worst class ;
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 235 
 
 the food indifferent, and the cliarges exorbitant. 
 The best plan in all Spanish posadas out of tbe 
 principal cities is to take what you can get, and 
 pay half the amount of the bill, that is if you can 
 stand a torrent of bullying, which sinks to 
 nothing when it is met with firmness. Late the 
 same evening, Juan entered the room, where our 
 hero was endeavouring to kill time, (having had 
 -a ramble over the whole place), by reading the 
 
 Gazette de Madrid. 
 
 '' We had better leave early in the morning, 
 
 Senor, for Cadiz," observed Juan, playing with 
 
 the tassels of his cap. 
 
 ''What time will Juana arrive?" demanded 
 
 Lieutenant O'More. 
 
 " She will not come here at all," answered Juan, 
 
 with a grin of satisfaction. " She's gone to 
 
 Cadiz, with Padre Ignatio, through Isla, — it's a 
 
 short walk." 
 
 " The deuce it is !" said Magnus O'More, 
 
 angrily. "Why did not you say so? I would 
 
 bave preferred walking with her and the priest to
 
 236 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 coming this way and sleeping in this miserable 
 posada." 
 
 " Miserable posada!" repeated Juan, in a tone of 
 surprise. "Carrambo ! the Duque de Romero stops 
 here when he comes to the baths in the summer." 
 
 " Very likely," returned Magnus, drily, "he 
 can eat beans stewed in garlic and oil, and stale 
 eggs made into omelettes, and manage to digest a 
 fowl that was born at the time of the last earth- 
 quake, besides sleeping in a bed, that you pay 
 for, as sole occupant, but have to share with some 
 hundreds of interesting animals, very common I 
 find in this part of the world, but nevertheless 
 extremely bad bedfellows. What made Juana 
 change hsr mode of going to Cadiz?" 
 
 *' She's very fond of the priest, senor," 
 returned Juan, demurely, " he had to visit the 
 chapel at Isla." 
 
 " I wonder you're not jealous of the priest," 
 said Magnus, "and afraid to trust your pretty 
 favourite with those gentry. They do not bear 
 the best of characters ?"
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 237 
 
 " Santos Dios ! the worthy padre is past sixty," 
 said Juan, laughing, *'he's her mother's con- 
 fessor." 
 
 ''Pray how did you know that Juana and 
 the priest went by Isla?" 
 
 " She sent a messenger, senor, and he told 
 me to say you would see her at her mother's, one 
 of the best posadas in Cadiz." 
 
 " Humph !" muttered the Lieutenant, by no 
 means pleased, " well then, let us get out of this 
 as early as you please to-morrow morning. Could 
 we not go at once ?" 
 
 " Carambo ! at this time, senor," exclaimed 
 Juan, in amazement. " What, cross the marsh 
 at night ? Oh, no, we can't do that. * 
 
 "Well," said Magnus, resignedly, "if there's 
 anything left of me, I shall be ready." 
 
 The next morning, Magnus O'More was seated 
 in Juan's calese, to which were harnessed a hand- 
 some pair of mules, and having paid his bill, 
 which included bed-fellows and garlic in abun- 
 dance, and without deducting a fraction for the
 
 238 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 society he enjoyed during the night, which was 
 one of very little sleep, Juan set off in a canter, 
 quite proud of his team of mules. 
 
 The approach to Cadiz, attracted our hero's 
 attention, and greatly surprised him. There was 
 not a sign of smoke over this really beautiful city, 
 the outlines of its edifices and towers showing 
 boldly and well defined against the clear sky. 
 Walled and bastioned, its statel}'' dwellings 
 looking towards the bay, reminding O'More of the 
 period when it sent forth its fleets and armada^ 
 to gather up the wealth of the far off west. 
 
 Juan pulled up his mules, just as he was 
 entering the low sandy isthmus that connects 
 Cadiz with the main land, and turning to Magnus, 
 who got out of the calese to enjoy the singular 
 and uncommon view that Cadiz presented, washed 
 on one side by the mighty waters of the Atlantic, 
 and on the other by the calm sparkling mimic 
 waves of its own beautiful bay. 
 
 "There," said Juan, pointing to the narrow 
 strip of sandy soil, "Jaana's grandmother, the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 239 
 
 old woman you saw at Peti, was washed up, liigli 
 and dry, by the great wave that swept over Cadiz 
 at the time of the earthquake, forty-five years 
 ago." 
 
 "What!" exclaimed our hero, with a laugli, 
 " was she swept over the walls of Cadiz, and de- 
 posited here? — that was a miracle." 
 
 *' No, senor," returned Juan, gravely. " The 
 saints can work miracles ; but the old woman 
 was saved quite naturally. She was younger 
 then, to be sure ; but, you see, when the sentinels 
 on the ramparts of Cadiz beheld a wave over 
 seventy feet high, rise up in the sea, and come 
 rushing with a noise like thunder, towards the 
 town, the alarm became terrible, everybody that 
 could fled from the city, till the governor ordered 
 the gates to be shut. 
 
 " Well, senor, the great mountain wave came 
 on, — there was not a saint in the calendar that was 
 not invoked ; with a frightful roar it broke upon 
 the rocks, demolished the walls, and swept into 
 the town, which it completely filled with water ;
 
 240 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 but, wonderful, not a life was lost : but almost 
 every soul that rushed out on these low sands 
 was drowned, Juana's grandmother with a few, 
 only escaping, because they had nearly reached a 
 place of safety. Since then the old woman does 
 nothing but dream of earthquakes." 
 
 " That does not at all surprise me," said Juan, 
 •' the old woman had a great escape." 
 
 Passing over the great causeway, they reached 
 the gate, and were permitted to enter without any 
 examination whatever. 
 
 Juan drove on through narrow streets, lined 
 with stately painted dwellings, and into the mar- 
 ket place, where the concourse of people of all 
 kinds and descriptions was prodigious. Magnus 
 perceived numbers of French sailors, officers and 
 others, mingled with groups covered with the 
 eternal brown cloaks, and fantastic sombreros, half 
 concealing their swarthy cheeks, but leaving 
 revealed their flashing eyes ; whilst every soul 
 seemed to be speaking and shouting at the top of 
 their voices. Magnus fancied that they would every
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 241 
 
 instant draw their knives and fall to. Then the 
 shrieks of the shell-fish seller and the aqua fresca 
 vendor rent the air. Now and then they passed 
 horsemen on their high-peaked saddles, muffled 
 to the eyes in their cloaks, and none without the 
 carbine slung by their side. 
 
 "Well, by Jove! this is a strange place,"thought 
 Lieutenant O'More, as the calese drove into a 
 very ample stable yard, belonging to a very largo 
 and really handsome posada. 
 
 Scarcely had the calese stopped and our hero 
 jumped out, before Juana, very smartly attired, 
 her cheek flushing, and her bright eyes sparkling, 
 stepped out from a side door, and beckoned to 
 Magnus to follow her, which he did at once, 
 though Juan called out hastily, " Senor, one 
 word ;" but Magnus was gone, whilst the worthy 
 muleteer stamped upon the ground, repeating 
 the word Carambo ! a dozen times over. 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 242 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Two hours after his arrival in Cadiz, Lieutenant 
 O'More was seated in a very comfortable chamber, 
 neatly-arranged, almost after the English 
 fa&hion ; he had just finished an exceedingly good 
 dinner, divested of oil and garlic, and was taking 
 a glass of excellent sherry, seated before a noble 
 log fire, when the door opened, and a female 
 about eight-and-forty years of age, entered the 
 room. She was attired certainly after the Spanish 
 style ; but having all the manner and ajjpearance 
 in her looks of being a native of England ; and 
 yet Mary Torridos had never been in Great 
 Britain, since the age of nine years. 
 
 Magnus O'More rose up and placed a chair for
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 243 
 
 the person who entered ; this, however, was not 
 their first meeting, for Mary Torridos had ex- 
 pected him, and evinced so much emotion in be- 
 holding the son of a once dearly loved mistress, 
 and for whom she had suffered four years of 
 cruel incarceration, that she was quite overcome, 
 and unable then to talk of the past ; but she 
 promised, after he had dined, and she had 
 time to collect her bewildered thoughts, that she 
 would return and have an hour's conversatio'i 
 with him. 
 
 Juana had made him as comfortable as possible, 
 and a suit of clothes after the Spanish hidalgo 
 fashion was making for him, for Juana said that it 
 would be dangerous for him to be seen in Cadiz 
 with the garments he had on, as the ship to which 
 the marine officer belonged, whose clothes he wore, 
 had been towed into Cadiz, and there were 
 three other French vessels of war in the harbour, 
 
 "I hope, my dear sir," said Mary Torridos, 
 *'that you have made a good dinner. I have 
 never been in England since I was a little girl 
 
 u 2
 
 244 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 but I know what Englishmen like. Before this 
 ■war broke out my house used to be always full of 
 English residents ; now we have French, and 
 they are not always fond of Spanish cooking — 
 dear me, dear me," and the woman crossed herself, 
 for she was a very devout Catholic — " you are the 
 very image of your beautiful mother ; the Lord 
 bless me — it seems but yesterday, when I look at 
 you. And so your noble father is dead, — dear me, 
 how young he died." 
 
 " Yes," said Magnus, with a sigh, " he did die 
 young, as well, as my poor dear mother ; but let 
 me hear all about my dear mother, before she be- 
 came my father's wife and afterwards, for, do you 
 know, that I am," and his face flushed as he 
 added, " I am considered by the world as an 
 illegitimate child ? that my mother was not mar- 
 ried before I was born ?" 
 
 " Jesu maria, what is that you say," said dame 
 Torridos, starting up, " how can such things be 
 said ; your mother not married ! why, blessed 
 ]Madonna.I I witnessed her marriage myself ;
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. ^ 245 
 
 and the very priest in whose chapel she 
 was married is still alive : bless me, you saw him 
 yourself at Petri, — Padra Ignatio, he is in Cadiz 
 now, he is the very priest." 
 
 " Thank God ! thank God !" exclaimed Mag- 
 nus, starting from his chair, and in the emotion 
 he felt, he seized the speaker, and kissed her as 
 he would a mother. Whilst doing so the door 
 opened, and Juan, the muleteer, entered the room, 
 but started back amazed, saying, in a tone of 
 astonishment, "What, Santos Dios ! he kisses 
 the mother too— Carambo !" and Juan rubbed his 
 chin in great perplexity. 
 
 Magnus, though greatly excited, could not but 
 laugh, whilst Mary, wiping her eyes, said, with a 
 smile, to Juan, 
 
 *' My son, this gentleman is the same to me as 
 my daughter. I loved his mother devotedly. You 
 are a good boy, Juan, and you love Juana, be 
 ^satisfied that she loves you, and do not mind what 
 you see." 
 
 " Santiago ! dame Torridos," said Juan. " I
 
 246 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 mind nothing, a brother may kiss a sister, vamos, 
 
 there's no harm done ; Juana, I suppose, looks 
 
 upon him as a brother, buwio ; but, senor, I 
 
 came to tell you not to stir out." 
 
 " Why, Jaan, what has happened ?" 
 
 '' Why, senor, some of the crew of the French 
 
 frigate and an o9Scer have been in the boats to the 
 
 beach, where the bodies were washed ashore ; you 
 
 remember they came to look for the body of an 
 
 officer belonging to the ship. This officer had a 
 
 brother aboard, the third lieutenant of the ship, 
 
 and he was anxious to find his brother's body ; 
 
 and the people then told them that he was buried, 
 
 and that a stranger, a Frenchman, they said, 
 
 stripped the body of the garments, and was gone 
 
 somewhere, fortunately they could not say where. 
 
 They took up the body, and brought it in their 
 
 boat to Cadiz, and it now is going to be buried in 
 
 consecrated ground ; so, senor, you must stay 
 
 quiet till you get other garments, and destroy 
 
 those you have on." 
 
 Magnus looked very serious for a moment, but
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 247 
 
 recovering his easy manner, said, ''you are a 
 very thoughtful youth, Juan, and I shall not, 
 depend on it, forget you." 
 
 The landlady, however, looked disturbed. " I 
 hope they will not be able to trace you," she said ; 
 *' for such is the resentment of the Spaniards 
 against England, that you would be sure to en- 
 dure a long imprisonment." 
 
 " I am not at all uneasy," said Magnus, "but 
 I should very much like to restore to the brother 
 of the unfortunate officer those garments I ap- 
 propriated in a moment of danger and anxiety, 
 and a pocket-book I found in the breastpocket of 
 this coat, trusting to save mjselffrom a prison." 
 
 " We can manage that, I think," said Dame 
 Torridos, after a moment's reflection. " I will 
 find out his brother's name. You can then en- 
 close it in a packet, with a note, declaring why 
 you took the garments, and I will get it delivered 
 by a stranger ; and depend on it, the French 
 officer will then make no further inquiries." 
 
 " I will write a note at once," said Magnus,
 
 248 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " the sooner done the better: The French are a 
 gallant set of men, and they know on board that 
 frigate that by right she belongs to the Terpsi- 
 chore, and that she has been most unjustly re- 
 taken and brought in here. But you must lend 
 me a few pieces of French money to replace the 
 femall sum I used out of this book — it contains a 
 good sum of money, and a trinket the brother 
 may value. The officer's name was Francois 
 Henri de Allmarde." 
 
 "Santos Dios ! Bless me," exclaimed the 
 woman, correcting herself and speaking English. 
 " Why I have his brother in the house now — he 
 belongs to the Vestale frigate; he is severely 
 V, ounded, but not dangerously, and as they are 
 repairing the Vestale he was removed here." 
 
 " Then, by Jove, I will go and see him my- 
 self," said Magnus, '' starting up." 
 
 ^' No, no, dear sir, you will risk your liberty," 
 said the dame, anxiously. "At least, wait till 
 you change your clothes." 
 
 " Yes," returned the impetuous lieutenant, " I
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 249 
 
 will do that, but I am quite satisfied that there 
 will be no danger in trusting the French officer, 
 whea I restore him his brother's pocket book." 
 
 "Perhaps so;" but shaking her head. Dame 
 Torridos looked uneasy. 
 
 Now Dame Torridos, in preventing our hero's 
 following the impulse he felt, to restore the 
 pocket-book at the moment, led, as our readers 
 will find, to very serious consequences. 
 
 " Now, dear madre," said the lieutenant, who 
 already began to feel for Mary Torridos a sincere 
 affection, as the old and faithful attendant of his 
 lamented mother, " now let me hear full particu- 
 lars of yourself, who have sufi'ered so much from 
 attachment to my parents." 
 
 "Ah!" sighed the woman, as she gazed ear- 
 nestly into the lieutenant's features, " If any one 
 a few days ago had told me I should soon be sit- 
 ting with the son of my beloved mistress, I would 
 have considered them mad or dreaming. It's not 
 so many, many years, my dear son, since your 
 noble father and mother stood at the altar, in all 
 
 M 5
 
 250 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 the pride of tlieir youth and beauty, but tlie suf- 
 ferings I endured for four years makes it appear 
 longer than it actually is. God help us ! What 
 things are jDride, hatred, and revenge. My 
 father's name was McDermot, he was a Roman 
 Catholic, and fled from Ireland to avoid the con- 
 sequences of his political opinions. I was then 
 but three years old. My mother died shortly 
 after arriving in Spain, l^.lj father entered the 
 Spanish service, but was killed in battle, leaving 
 me, just nine years old, destitute and helpless. 
 The Countess de Cabra, one of the kindest and 
 noblest of women, hearing of my destitute state, 
 took me under her protection. Her daughter, 
 Fernanda, was then but three years old, and 
 after a time she became very much attached to 
 me, whilst I soon learned to idolize this beautiful 
 child, 
 
 ^' From her earliest years she loved everything 
 English ; I, of course, scarcely remembered any- 
 thing of my native land, and knew little, except 
 from conversations with my father, and an Irish
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 251 
 
 family settled in Seville, and carrying on a lucra- 
 tive business, but I spoke English well, and Donna 
 Fernanda, as she grew up, loved to speak the 
 language, and what with books and my help she 
 picked it up rapidly. At this time also many 
 English frequented Seville. Donna Fernanda 
 first saw your father at the celebrated bull fight, 
 at Madrid, when he saved one of the royal family 
 from being crushed, rescuing her at the same 
 time, for she was the favourite companion of the 
 princess. Shortly after that event I married a 
 highly respectable small landowner named Jose 
 Torridos, who resided in Seville, and was a vassal 
 of the Count de Cabra. 
 
 ^' Fernanda deeply regretted my leaving her, 
 but when the family returned to Seville, she im- 
 plored me to remain with her till after her nup- 
 tials with the Duke del Rio, to whom she had 
 been betrothed in early girlhood, but to fulfil 
 this arrangement of her father's, she was firmly 
 resolved she never would. Whilst there she in- 
 formed me of her attachment to the senor
 
 252 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Roderick O'More, then in Seville, and engaged 
 me to assist her in flying from Spain. Though I 
 trembled at the consequences, I could not resist 
 her tears and prayers. The Senor O'iVIore came 
 and resided in our house. I had a little boy two 
 years old, who took a strange fancy to your noble 
 father. Ah, he was a princely gentleman, so 
 noble, so generous, and so gentle. I need not 
 repeat what Don Ayalda told you, for every 
 word he said was strictly correct. Donna 
 Fernanda suffered fearfully, when she beheld 
 Don Ayalda, fall, pierced by the sword of your 
 father, who equally suffered from the same cause. 
 But Don Ayalda, as kind a senor as ever lived 
 and who loved my mistress madly, rushed with 
 such frantic excitement upon the Senor O'More 
 that he must either have been slain or his flight 
 stopped ; he, however, assured Donna Fernanda 
 that the wound could not be mortal. A fast 
 barge, impelled by six stout men, contrabandists, 
 was waiting at the garden stairs. You already 
 know what took place at the chapel. After the
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 253 
 
 ceremony I embraced my beloved mistress, whom 
 I was never to see again. She put a small case 
 into my hands, and with tears in her eyes she bade 
 me farewell ; I myself was weeping bitterly, and 
 thus we parted. I crossed the river in another 
 boat ; my husband was waiting for me, he was 
 greatly alarmed, and indeed the next morning 
 wished to fly from Seville ; but my little boy was 
 ver}"- unwell, and I did not think the count's 
 vengeance would fall upon us, and besides had 
 we fled, unless on board a ship and sailed for 
 England, how could we expect to escape from 
 the count's power in Spain? 
 
 " The following night we had all retired to rest, 
 and were buried in repose, when I awoke with a 
 frightful cry from a hideous dream. What was 
 my horror when I beheld, standing by my bed 
 side, two alguazils of the holy office of the In- 
 quisition, with their dark lanterns and sable 
 garments ; they struck a chill to my heart. 
 Covering me, half fainting, with their mantles, 
 and but half dressed, whilst my heart-stricken
 
 254 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 husband implored for mercy on his knees in 
 vain, they carried me away. I knew I was 
 going to the Inquisition, and overcome with 
 horror I fainted. When I recovered I was in 
 darkness, lying on a pallet in a dungeon I sup- 
 posed, for no sound of any kind broke the horri- 
 ble stillness of my abode. The Inquisition was 
 at that time established in the Jesuits' College in 
 Seville ; formerly it was in the old Moorish 
 fortress that defended the suburbs of Jaen. I 
 remained many months in total darkness, how 
 many I cannot say. I received my food and 
 water through a box that turned in the wall ; but 
 during those months I never heard the sound of 
 human voice." 
 
 " How horrible !" exclaimed the interested 
 listener, with a shudder, "my poor friend, what 
 you must have suffered !" 
 
 '' Yes, my son, I suffered ; but the blessed 
 Madonna, to whom I prayed, sustained me ; for 
 strange to say no malady attacked me in that 
 frightful dungeon ; it was damp and close, and
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 255 
 
 yet I lived and preserved my senses. My thoughts 
 were always on my husband and child, and upon 
 your parents, wondering if they also had fallen 
 victims to the count's vengeance. When ema- 
 ciated almost to a skeleton, my door opened one 
 day or night, for I could not tell which, and two 
 alguazils appeared. The light from their lanterns 
 blinded me. I could not bear it ; they supported 
 me, and thus I dragged myself along, and 
 mounting many stairs I was led into another cell, 
 dry and, for a prison, comfortable. The blessed 
 light of day entered that cell from a grating in the 
 ceiling. ' You owe this clemency to the prayers of 
 the Countess de Cabra,' said one of the men, and 
 then they left me. I fell upon my knees and 
 prayed, and then sunk upon my pallet and wept. 
 In this cell I remained three years, had tolerably 
 good food, and was visited four times in the year 
 by a priest ; but I was strictly forbidden, under 
 pain of returning to the dungeon I had left, to 
 ask a single question. The fourth year was 
 passing over, when an act of grace gave me free-
 
 256 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 dom, along with many others. Two alguazils 
 conducted me in the night to the outward door 
 of the prison. ' Go/ said they ' and sin no more.' 
 
 " I walked on, staggering, wild with joy. Oh, 
 Madonna ! I mentally exclaimed, shall I find my 
 husband and child living. A figure, muflled in a 
 brown mantle, grasped me by the arm, I turned, 
 I was in the arms of my husband. I shrieked 
 with joy. 'Oh, Mary, Mary,' he exclaimed, 
 what you have suffered. Curse — ' ' Nay, nay — 
 hush, hush, Jose,' I murmured. Curse no one, 
 bless God and the saints I am alive ; but my 
 child—" 
 
 Mary Torridos had got thus far in her narra- 
 ti V'e, when a violent uproar on the stairs caused 
 her and her companion to start up, and listen. 
 The next moment the door was thrown open, and 
 Juana very pale and agitated rushed in. 
 
 " Ah, holy virgin, senor, you are discovered !*' 
 
 Lieutenant O'More looked eagerly round the 
 room for some weapon of defence, but fortunately 
 there was none to be found. The next moment
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 257 
 
 six soldiers with their carbines cocked entered 
 the room, preceded by & naval ofl&cer holding his 
 sword drawn. 
 
 '^ There," exclaimed the oflBcer, pointing to our 
 hero, " there he stands, the robber and murderer, 
 dressed in the very garments of the dead. Seize 
 him." 
 
 " Stay," exclaimed O'More, in a voice and 
 with a gesture of command, that awed the men, 
 who paused. Turning to the officer, he said, *' I 
 can make allowance for the words you have used, 
 but you are in error, I am an English officer, 
 second lieutenant of the Terpsichore." 
 
 " Bah !" fiercely exclaimed the officer, " you 
 are a liar, and a sacre voleur !" 
 
 Though Juana, who watclied our hero's eyes, 
 rushed to stay his fary, it was in vain ; before 
 anyone could interfere the officer measured his 
 length on the floor, bleeding profusely from the 
 mouth and nose, and his sword torn from his 
 grasp, though the lieutenant received a sharp 
 but not deep wound on the aim.
 
 258 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Juana slirieked ; her motlier, Juan tlie muleteer, 
 and all the household rushed in between the 
 soldiers and the enraged sailor who, now possessed 
 of a weapon, would surely have attacked the 
 men. 
 
 " Oh, my son," exclaimed the terrified land- 
 lady, " oh, my son, do not resist, they will kill 
 you." 
 
 Juana clung to his arm, and the muleteer, 
 who faithful and high-spirited, had seized a spit 
 from the kitchen, ranged himself by the side of 
 the lieutenant. 
 
 The French officer rose from the floor, livid 
 with rage, exclaiming to the men, 
 
 " Rascals, why did you not shoot this robber 
 through the head ?" 
 
 " You are not their commander, sir," said a 
 Spanish officer entering the room; "you are too 
 hasty, you should have waited till I arrived. 
 This is a case to go before our alguazil mayor." 
 
 " Sir," said Magnus, advancing to the Spanish 
 officer, and delivering to him the sword he had
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 259 
 
 taken, " I am willing to go whither you please ; 
 but to be called a robber and liar by that man, 
 who is an officer of the Vestale, a ship that sur- 
 rendered to the Terpsichore, and of which ship I 
 am second lieutenant, is too bad. I therefore 
 demand honourable treatment as an officer and 
 an Englishman." 
 
 *' 'Tis false," said the French officer, wiping 
 the blood from his face. " I assert he murdered 
 Lieutenant Francois D'Almarde ; take him before 
 your magistrates, and let him be searched." 
 
 "Very good," sai.l the Spaniard, "that is the 
 right way to proceed," and turning to the 
 soldiers, he made a sign. They immediately 
 placed themselves beside our hero, who after 
 whispering a few words to Juana and Dame 
 Torridos, followed the three first soldiers out of the 
 room, the remaining three bringing up the rear. 
 
 " Carambo ! he's a fine fellow," observed Juan 
 turning to the weeping Juana ; " did you see how 
 he tumbled over the Frenchman, with a blow of 
 his fist. Santos Dies ! what a blow ! "
 
 260 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 " But the wretcli of a Frencliman," saidJuana, 
 " stabbed him in the arm with his sword. I saw 
 the blood running down on his hand ; but you 
 are a brave lad, Juan," continued the young girl, 
 kindly, and giving him her hand. ^' Put by the 
 spit, and we will see what is to be done." 
 
 " Bless your little heart," said Juan, quite 
 pleased. " I forgive you," and he whispered some 
 words in Juana's ear. 
 
 '- Come, come," said Dame Torridos, getting 
 up from an arm chair into which she had sunk, 
 overcome ; " we must not be idle." 
 
 Just as they were all leaving the room, an 
 alguazil met them; and immediately touching 
 Juan on the shoulder, said, " Come, my lad, they 
 want you in court." 
 
 " Me ! " cried Juan, with a slight start; " what 
 have I do with it?" 
 
 " More than you think, my lad," replied the 
 alguazil; " so come along." 
 
 ^'Remember, Juan!" whispered the maiden 
 in the muleteer's ear.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 261 
 
 *' Ob, never fear," said Juan, stoutly. " Ptu 
 no coward — " 
 
 In the meantime Magnus O'More was conducted 
 through a great concourse of people, who had 
 collected round the hotel. A confused rumour 
 of a murderer having been taken into custody 
 rang, like wild-fire, through the rabble assembled, 
 and that the murderer was an Englishman, and 
 a heretic ; so that when the lieutenant made his 
 appearance, a yell from the crowd saluted him. 
 
 Little did Magnus heed their yells and cries. 
 They soon reached the front of a large mansion, 
 in one of the rooms of which the alguazil 
 mayor sat waiting to hear the case. On entering 
 the lofty chamber, Magnus O'More wds led into 
 the part appropriated for prisoners; the whole 
 space alloted to the public was filled to over- 
 flowing, whilst several French naval officers col- 
 lected in the vacant spaces near the alguazil 
 mayor, and his officers and clerks. 
 
 The alguazil mayor was a fine, hale, elderly 
 man, with a somewhat stern countenance ; but 
 
 »■*
 
 262 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 still highly respectable in manner and appear- 
 ance. 
 
 Silence having been obtained, the alguazil 
 required the French officer to state his charge 
 against the prisoner. 
 
 This he did in French, accusing Magnus O'More 
 of not only plundering the body of Lieutenant 
 D' Almarde ; but also positively asserting that he 
 killed him, thai he was then attired in the 
 garments of the dead officer, and no doubt, if he 
 was searched, his effects would be found upon his 
 person. 
 
 " Search the prisoner," said the magistrate. 
 One of the officers of the court did so ; Magnus 
 O'More offering no kind of resistance, and 
 waiting patiently till he himself should be 
 interrogated. 
 
 As soon as the pocket-book was produced, a 
 general exclamation from the French officers took 
 place, all saying, "Ah, sacre voleur, voila; that 
 is Lieutenant D'Almarde's pocket-book," — it con- 
 tains so and so, mentioning the contents. On
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 263 
 
 examining the book, tlie letters stated to be in it 
 and some portion of the money were missing. 
 
 " What has become of the letters and money 
 that is said to have been in this pocket-book?" 
 asked the alguazil mayor, looking with exceeding 
 surprise at Lieutenant O'More. 
 
 " The letters I burnt," said Magnus, " and 
 part of the money I spent ; but — " 
 
 " You have answered the question, prisoner," 
 said the alguazil, " confine yourself to doing so 
 only, fur the present." 
 
 Turning to the French officer, the Spaniard 
 said, " Pray explain the full particulars relating 
 to Lieutenant D'Almarde ; how he came to bo 
 ashore, &c." 
 
 The Frenchman then stated that the garments 
 the prisoner then wore belonged to Lieutenant 
 D'Almarde, officer of marines, belonging to the 
 Vestale ; which vessel was disabled in a long 
 engagement with an English frigate ; that lying 
 dangerously near the shore Lieutenant D'Almarde 
 left the ship, with four seamen, in a small boat.
 
 264 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 to seek assistance to tow the frigate into Cadiz. 
 The Frenchman then stated that the body of 
 Lieutenant D'Almarde was found on the beach 
 near Petri, stripped, and with a gash on his 
 head, evidently inflicted with a heavy stone ; that 
 the prisoner was seen by a person, who was then in 
 court, ready to swear to what he had witnessed, — 
 he saw the prisoner strip the body, and then drag 
 it up the beach, and afterwards he went and 
 spoke to some men who were saving portions of 
 wreck ; that he then went to the inn at Petri, 
 and afterwards was taken by the muleteer, Juan 
 Cavalos, to Chicalana, and thence to Cadiz ; the 
 said Juan Cavalos was aware he was an English- 
 man, and was consequently an accomplice. 
 
 " Where is this Juan Cavlaos, — is he in court?" 
 said the alguazil mayor. 
 
 ^' No, my lord," said an officer ; " but he can 
 be brought here in a few minutes." 
 
 ^* Bring him," said the alguazil ; " and let the 
 man who saw the prisoner strip the dead stand 
 out."
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 265 
 
 Juan's uncle was tlien brouglit forward. Ho 
 did not appear to like being examined, but lie 
 answered in a strai<ditforward manner. He said 
 be certainly saw the prisoner take the garments 
 from the body; but did not see liira do anything 
 else." 
 
 ''Was the man dead?" asked the alguuzil, 
 when the prisoner approached him ?" 
 
 '' I should say so, Senor Alguazil," returned 
 the witness. " I watched the prisoner, and saw 
 no violence offered." 
 
 *' You are sworn,— is what you state fact?" 
 
 '' Certainly, senor." 
 
 A bustle in the chamber announced the arrival 
 of the muleteer, who was brought forward. Juan 
 gazed round him quite coolly. Magnus looked 
 into his features, but the muleteer evinced no 
 fear whatever. 
 
 Juan was then sworn. 
 
 " Is this the man?" said the algaazil, nodding 
 his head at our hero, who was very much inclined 
 
 VOL. I, N
 
 266 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 to yawn at the tediousness of the affair. '^Is 
 this the man you took on your mules from Petri 
 to Chicalana, and thence, in your calese, to 
 Cadiz ?" 
 
 ''Santos Dios ! of course, that is the senor," 
 returned Juan, stoutly. 
 
 '•' Mind, you are sworn, Juan Cavalos ; and 
 confine yourself to simply answering questions." 
 
 " Was not the prisoner afraid of staying at 
 the inn at Petri, for fear he should be recognised 
 by the villagers of Petri, when they returned 
 from the wreck ?" 
 
 Juan rubbed his chin, gave a twist to his 
 moustache, and then said, — " Well, Senor 
 Alguazil Mayor, being an Englishman, I suppose 
 he was afraid of being taken prisoner, and 
 hindered from getting to his ship." 
 
 ''Ha!" said the alguazil, "^I see you are 
 decidedly an accomplice, and wish to shield the 
 prisoner. You confess to knowing him to be an 
 Englishman; and yet you aided an enemy to
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 267 
 
 your country to escape. Take them both to 
 prison— 1 have heard enough; sufficient at all 
 events, to induce me to commit them both." 
 
 ''What!" said Magnus O'More, indignantly, 
 and fixing his dark eyes upon the alguazil mayor. 
 '' Is this Spanish law, to condemn a man without 
 hearing his defence — " 
 
 " No," interrupted the alguazil mayor, mildly. 
 " You are not condemned ; I commit you to pri- 
 son only till all the evidence is collected against 
 you. You will then be heard, and in the mean- 
 time, you yourself can summon any witnesses 
 you think proper. This is our custom. You will 
 have fair treatment; in three days you will be 
 again heard." 
 
 The French officers seemed by no means satis- 
 fied with the decision of the alguazil mayor, who 
 was secretly struck by the person and manner of 
 the prisoner. There was something, he thought, 
 mysterious in the whole afi'air ; he was therefore 
 resolved to gain time, and make enquiries. But 
 
 N 2
 
 268 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Magnus O'More by no means relished these three 
 days' imprisonment ; he had a very good idea of 
 a Spanish prison. He therefore said, address- 
 ing the alguazil mayor, in a firm, manly voice, 
 
 " Senor, if you refuse to listen to me, as an Eng- 
 lish oflScer, I shall declare that I am the grand- 
 son of the Count de Cabra, and demand that he 
 be informed "that his grandson is accused of a 
 crime he no more committed than you did." 
 
 The alguazil mayor fell back in his chair, 
 struck with intense surprise, whilst a loud mur- 
 mur was heard all over the court. 
 
 " He's an impostor," shouted the French 
 officers ; " he wants to gain time. A while ago, 
 lie said he was an officer of the Terpsichore, a 
 British frigate — ifs a lie." 
 
 *' If I had my hand on your throat, scoundrel 
 and liar as you are," said Magnus, fiercely, '' an- 
 other falsehood would never escape your lips." 
 
 The alguazil mayor rose up, evidently sur- 
 prised and confused. He spoke a few words to
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 269 
 
 one of his officers, and then retired, whilst onr 
 hero was surrounded by the body of algnazils in 
 court, and conducted to the city prison, in a 
 chamber of wliich he was lodged, and left to his 
 reflections.
 
 270 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Don Lopez de Loperos, alguazil mayor, of 
 Cadiz, was a gentleman of good family, and of 
 higli character ; lie was a native of Seville, and 
 was well acquainted with the Count de Cabra. 
 Entering a private chamber in the same mansion 
 where the court was held, he sent one of his 
 officials for the two French officers, whilst he 
 examined a paper just handed him by an algua- 
 zil, and which he received from Dame Torridos, 
 who with Juana, closely muffled in mantles, had 
 been present the whole time of tlie examination 
 of Lieutenant O'More. 
 
 Don Lopez took the paper and read it, appa- 
 rently greatly moved and astonished ; Mary Tor-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 271 
 
 ridos had simply stated tliat Magnus O'More 
 was in fact the son of Eoderick O'More and 
 Fernanda de Cabra, whom he must remember, for 
 he was in Seville at the time of the elopement ; 
 that he was also second lieutenant of the Terpsi- 
 chore ; had taken possession of the Vestale, and 
 was by her mutinous crew thrown overboard ; that 
 he found the dead body of the French marine 
 officer lying on the beach, and had only taken 
 his clothes to escape being made prisoner by the 
 French. 
 
 " This is plain matter of fact," said the algua- 
 zil mayor. " I remember the elopement and 
 strange marriage of Fernanda of Cordova, as if 
 it was yesterday — and yet liberate this young- 
 gentleman without another trial, I cannot ; we 
 are in the hands of the French." As he thus 
 communed with himself, the two French officers 
 entered the room. 
 
 " Grcntlemen," said the alguazil mayor, 
 <' there is some very great mistake in this affair ?" 
 
 "Diablel" said the Frenchman, angrily, for at
 
 272 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 this time tlie Frencli paid very little respect to 
 Spanish, authority, or to the Spaniards them- 
 selves. "What mistake can there be? You 
 must be satisfied that your prisoner is an 
 Enfj-lishman; No doubt some sailor out of the 
 Terpsichore ?" 
 
 " Sailor, he cannot be, senors/- interrupted the 
 magistrate. " Common sailor he cannot be, his 
 look and manner, his perfect knowledge of our 
 language, his name, which I now know, all prove 
 the contrary." 
 
 " Then," said one of the Frencli officers, 
 furiously, " do you intend, on the mere assertion 
 of this man, to grant him his freedom; do you 
 think our government will permit French 
 officers to be murdered and plundered with impu- 
 nity ?" 
 
 " You are too fast," said the Spaniard, 
 haughtily, '' and assume a tone and manner I am 
 not inclined to submit to. The Duke de Gabra 
 — for in last year the Count had been created a 
 Duke, — must be informed of this affair, and also
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 273 
 
 enquiries must be made with a flag of truce,ou board 
 the Terpsichore British Frigate. I heard this 
 morning that the Terpsichore was off this harbour, 
 and had sent a boat ashore with a flag of truce." 
 
 The two Frenchmen looked savage, and 
 whispered together for a moment, and then said, 
 *'you, Senor Alguazil, are bound to judge this 
 case impartially. Lst the prisoner be brought 
 forward, after to-morrow we will bring witnesses 
 that will convince you." So saying, they left the 
 room abruptly. 
 
 The alguazil mayor returned to his own 
 residence ; and at once sat down and wrote a 
 letter to the Duke de Cabra, who was then at 
 SanLucar; this letter, stating fall particulars, 
 he despatched at once by a private courier. The 
 Cala of San Lucar is a vast range of forest 
 land, abounding in game of every sort ; and had 
 for years belonged to the Counts de Cabra. 
 Though past sixty-six years of age, the Dake 
 was still a vigorous and strong man. Always 
 passionately adicted to hunting, after the Spanish 
 
 N 5
 
 274 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 mode, he still aimed at j)ursuing his favourite 
 amusement. At this period he was staying at 
 his hunting lodge, with several nobles and 
 cavaliers. On the day the courier from the 
 Alguazil Mayor reached San Lucar the Duke 
 was in his private dressing room, preparing to 
 meet his guests at dinner. 
 
 The Spanish nobleman, though in his sixty- 
 sixth year, was still upright and stately in his 
 mien and carriage, his hair but slightly grizzled, 
 but his moustache and whiskers were white ; he 
 had a noble forehead, and finely formed features; 
 but their expression was habitually harsh and 
 haughty. 
 
 The domestic presented the letter, saying, "A 
 courier, my lord duke, brought this from the 
 Alguazil Mayor, of Cadiz, and says it is most 
 important?" 
 
 ''Very well," said the Duke, ''toll the 
 courier, to wait ;" the domestic bowed low and 
 retired. 
 
 The Duke broke the seal of the letter without
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 275 
 
 betraying any kind of excitement, but as his eyes 
 ran over the contents, be drew a heavy breath ; 
 bis cheek blanched from emotion, and the 
 band shook that held the letter ; when he had 
 finished it, his lips appeared glued together, as 
 be pronounced, aloud, "At last! Ah, Madre 
 de Dios, my revenge comes in the eleventh 
 hour, but I have him in my grasp," and he 
 stretched forth his hand, moving the fingers with 
 a spasmodic action. " Son of the traitor and 
 heretic, who robbed me of my child, who destroyed 
 ber body and soul, who left me childless in my 
 old age ! Santiago," and the old man's eyes 
 flashed as he raised them to Heaven, " he shall 
 die!" 
 
 Going to his desk, he took out paper and pens, 
 but his hand shook so from passion and agitation, 
 that he could not write a word. He then paused, 
 and paced the chamber to collect his thoughts, 
 speaking as was his custom, when excited, 
 aloud. 
 
 " No, it will not do to trust him," muttered
 
 276 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 tlie Duke. '^Don Gusman, the Alguazil Mayor, 
 is a mail bGaring a higli character, lie will not 
 obey me strictlj^, he loves justice. I will make 
 him Alguazil Mayor of Madrid, and despatch him 
 there at once ; he will be proud of such an advance. 
 His lieutenant, Don Calzados, is the man to suit 
 my views : he would hang his own father, to gain 
 a step in rank ; he shall take Don Gusman's place." 
 Having calmed down his agitation, though his 
 insane desire of an unholy revenge grew stronger 
 within his breast, he sat down and wrote two 
 letters. One to Don Gusman, desiring him to 
 set out immediately for JNIadrid and take the 
 vacant office of Alguazil Mayor for that im- 
 portant city. (The day before promised by the 
 Duke to another.) To Calzados, he wrote as 
 follows, after filling up his appointment as 
 Alguazil Mayor of Cadiz : — 
 
 " It is necessary, for state reasons, that the 
 Englishman named Magnus O'More, now in the 
 j)rison of Cadiz, on the charge of murdering a
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 277 
 
 Frencli officer of Marines, and stripping his body, 
 slioiild be found guilty. (Mark, the proving be 
 stripped the body and the clothes being found on 
 him, will be sufficient, by the recent law on the 
 subject of wrecks &c.), to condemn him to death, 
 by the Garotte Vil.* Should any extraordinary 
 difficulty arise unforeseen, send him at once to 
 San Lucar. Let there be no delay in the sentence, 
 or in the execution. 
 
 " Cabra." 
 
 This letter was given to the courier, and then 
 the Duke with a ferocious joy began to prepare 
 for dinner. 
 
 * A mode of inflicting deatn by Strangulation, peculiar ia 
 
 Spain.
 
 278 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Before twenty hours were over, the account of 
 the murder of Lieutenant Francois d'Almarde, was 
 creating a great sensation throughout Cadiz. At 
 that period the French were very numerous in 
 the city, and all classes, whether naval, military, 
 or civilian, treated the Spaniards with very little 
 civility, and the Spanish authorities with unmiti- 
 gated contempt. All the French population, 
 therefore, made a considerable stir, demanding 
 justice upon the murderer of a naval ofBcer, their 
 countryman. 
 
 Theofficers of the Vestale frigate, which had been 
 retaken in so disgraceful a manner, were furious ; 
 they said the alguazil mayor favoured the pri-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 279 
 
 soner, and wished to interest tlie Duke de Cabra 
 in his favour, fancying he ^Yas a natural son of 
 some one of his household, for they scouted the 
 idea of his being the Duke's grandson. But it 
 shortly became known that Don Gusman, the 
 alguazil mayor, had left Cadiz for Madrid, and 
 that the new alguazil mayor had orders to pro- 
 ceed at once with the trial. 
 
 The French officers immediately waited on the 
 new magistrate, and remained in close conference 
 with him for more than an hour, and left, per- 
 fectly satisfied that no time would now be lost in 
 bringing the prisoner to trial. The new alguazil 
 mayor kept his instructions to himself; but proud 
 of his most unexpected appointment, he set to in 
 right earnest to fulfil the duke's orders to the 
 letter. On euq^uiring, he learned that the brother 
 of Jacques Francois d'Almarde, who was lying 
 ill at Dame Torridos' hotel, would appear as a 
 witness. Other persons, from the village of 
 Petri, were sent for, so that at the trial there 
 would be so many witnesses against the pri-
 
 2 so OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 soner, and all in favour would be carefully ex- 
 cluded. 
 
 In the meantime, our hero passed his time but 
 dismally in prison ; Don Gusman had promised 
 he should have every opportunity of procuring 
 witnesses on the day of his trial, and he had 
 requested that a boat, with a flag of truce, should 
 be sent off to the Terpsichore, if she was known 
 to be off the harbour, or indeed, to any of the 
 British ships ; but the jailor, with a malicious 
 grin, said, 
 
 '' It was quite useless ; there was a new algua- 
 zil mayor, who had forbidden his having any com- 
 munication with anyone without the walls of the 
 prison." He was refused pens or paper, and 
 every way his treatment was for the worse. 
 
 The lieutenant was enraged ; he began to think 
 his case was critical, and that he had acted 
 wrongly in declaring himself the grandson of the 
 Duke de Cabra. The more he thought over tlig 
 circumstances, the more he was inclined to be- 
 lieve that his declaration of being the Duke's
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 281 
 
 grandson, had something to do with his prolonged 
 confinement and the change of alguazils. Could 
 it be i^ossiLJe, he asked himself, that the Duke 
 should seek revenge upon him, for his daughter's 
 abduction and marriage with his father. 
 
 The eighth day, our hero was conducted, by an. 
 armed guard, in a covered calese, to the Judg- 
 ment Hall. It was, to his surprise, entirely filled 
 with French officers, and a numerous array of 
 witnesses ; but no sooner was he placed in the 
 dock, than the doors were opened, and a tumultu- 
 ous crowd rushed in, and filled the space behind 
 him. Magnus O'More first looked up at the new 
 alguazil mayor. He was a tall, thin man, not 
 more than forty years of age, with a mean dis- 
 iigreeable countenance, and small eyes, which 
 never seemed to rest a moment on one object. 
 There were present nearly all the officers of the 
 two French frigates, the Vestale and the Eevolu- 
 tionaire. Directly behind the alguazil, sat a 
 French naval officer, with his head bound up, 
 and holding a large handkerchief to his face.
 
 282 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 It will be unnecessary to repeat tlie whole of the 
 criminal process in trying the prisoner. Several 
 of the Petri villagers swore to his identity, and 
 to the finding his garments in a cleft of a rock. 
 A French surgeon swore that the deceased came 
 to his death from a blow inflicted by a piece of 
 rock. At this assertion. Lieutenant O'More 
 sailed, for it was easily imagined that the un- 
 fortunate officer's head came in contact with a 
 rock. 
 
 Juana's uncle was again sworn ; he seemed 
 chagrined, but he could not deny that he dis- 
 thictly saw our hero strip the body, and conceal 
 his own garments. 
 
 '* This is quite sufficient," said the alguazil 
 mayor, standing up and speaking in a hurried, 
 and not very distinct voice. " By a recent act, 
 anyone convicted of stripping persons, or even 
 bodies thrown upon the sands, from vessels in 
 distress, is liable to the penalty of death." 
 
 "What mockery of justice is this?" exclaimed 
 Magnus O'More, standing erect, his voice sound-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 283 
 
 ing tlirougli the great hall with a startling dis- 
 tinctness, and fixing his piercing gaze upon the 
 startled magistrate. " It appears to me that you 
 are acting a part, and under instructions ; your 
 object being to find me guilty, whether innocent 
 or not — but take care." 
 
 ''Silence the prisoner," roared the alguazil 
 mayor, pale with rage; and a dozen alguazils 
 started forward to obey, whilst the French 
 ofiicer rose up, appearing greatly excited, and 
 calling on the alguazil mayor to pronounce sen- 
 tence. 
 
 " This is a monstrous farce," exclaimed Magnus 
 O'More, dashing aside the grasp of an alguazil. 
 " I protest against this conspiracy ; and you," 
 fixing his gaze upon the French officer, "you 
 disgrace your country and your profession. You 
 know as well as I do, that I am an officer of the 
 Terpsichore." 
 
 " Pronounce sentence, pronounce sentence," 
 shouted the Frenchmen. The crowd in the room 
 roared, " hang him ! hang him ! he's a heretic, 
 and an Englishman."
 
 284 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 The alguazils again advanced "with drawn 
 swords. But a loud, authoritative voice was lieard, 
 exclaiming, in tolerable Spanish, '' rascals, out of 
 my way. Do you want to murder a noble gentle- 
 man ?" 
 
 The Frencli officers sat down abashed ; the 
 alguazil mayor looked bewildered ; whilst Magnus 
 O'More turned sharply round with an exclama- 
 tion of joy, with one sweep of his powerful arm, 
 tumbled over the two alguazils guarding him, 
 and with a bound sprang out of the dock, amidst 
 a general exclamation of fear ; and the next mo- 
 ment clasped the hand of a tall, powerful man, in 
 the naval uniform of a French rear-admiral, who, 
 thrusting aside the crowd with little ceremony, 
 held the hand clasping his with a warm pressure, 
 saying, in English, 
 
 " By St. Peter's toe ! Magnus, my boy, I'm 
 just in time. Why these infernal rascals of 
 Spaniards wanted to hang you." 
 
 Magnus wrung O'Brien's — ^his first, earliest, and 
 most noble-hearted friend hand with an emotion 
 that choked the words he strove to utter.
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOKE. 285 
 
 " What is the meaning of this conduct — this 
 audacity ?" exchiimed the furious alguazil mayor. 
 '' Officers, take possession of your prisoner." 
 
 " Stay !" exclaimed Admiral O'Brien, in a fierce 
 voice, waving his hand to the men, awing them 
 by his tone and manner, and, in fact, not relish- 
 ing attacking two such powerful-looking men as 
 those before them. 
 
 " Your conduct is illegal," said the alguazil, 
 getting a better look at the uniform of O'Brien. 
 
 ^' Oh, to the devil with your legality !" retorted 
 the fiery Irishman, and advancing towards the 
 French officer, he said, " how is this, Lieut. 
 D'Almarde, that you dare to bring such an accu- 
 astion as this against an English officer, who you 
 know right well — for, after cutting you down 
 aboard the Vestale, you disgracefully excited the 
 men to mutiny, and to murder this very officer 
 spared your life." 
 
 Magnus O'More now recognized the French 
 officer, the muffling from his face being removed. 
 
 *' Your gallant but unfortunate brother quitted
 
 286 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 Ms ship," continued O'Brien, ^'not, as you say, 
 to procure assistance, but because he would not 
 be a party to your disgraceful scheme of retaking 
 the ship — a ship this gallant officer boarded to 
 save from certain destruction ; and now you das- 
 tardly accuse him of a murder never committed, 
 for any fool might surmise that the boat your 
 brother embarked in was upset, and all on board 
 perished. No doubt his head was struck against 
 a rock, and that blow killed him, and because 
 this brave man took his garments you accuse him 
 of murder." 
 
 The alguazil mayor understood every word 
 Admiral O'Brien said ; he saw at once the case 
 would be dismissed, and he remained puzzled 
 how to act, for he knew that the admiral com- 
 manded in the Cadiz station. 
 
 When O'Brien ceased speaking. Lieutenant 
 D'Almarde, forced to reply, said, in a sulky tone, 
 " How was I, Admiral O'Brien, to know all this ? 
 I find the prisoner in my brother's clothes." 
 
 " Bah ! " interupted O'Brien, " you are a
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 287 
 
 disgrace to our profession, and, if you belonged 
 to my ship, I would kick you out of her." 
 
 *'Take care, Admiral O'Brien," said the 
 Frenchman, shaking with passion. '' You are 
 my superior officer, but I will have satisfaction for 
 this language?" 
 
 *' Devilish glad to hear it," returned the Admiral, 
 with a sneer, " I shall then have the pleasure of 
 shooting you." 
 
 The alguazil mayor was perfectly bewildered ; 
 Admiral O'Brien commanded the two decker, 
 
 the D , then in the harbour of Cadiz. The 
 
 Spaniard was awed under the fiery indignation 
 of the Irishman ; he knew that, even backed by 
 the power of the Duke, [he could not pass a 
 sentence upon the prisoner when his very accusers 
 withdrew their charge. To feel his way, he 
 turned to Lieutenant D'Almarde, and demanded 
 whether he persisted in his accusation against 
 the prisoner. 
 
 The French lieutenant was livid with rage; he
 
 288 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 wliispered for a moment in the ear of one of his 
 companions, and then said, 
 
 *'No, I withdraw my accusation, — I acted from 
 conscientious motives." 
 
 " Oh blarney ! " siiid O'Brien, with a laugh, 
 and in English, 
 
 *' I have considered," continued Lieutenant 
 D'Almarde, speaking in French, " that I had a 
 right to seek redress. I could not he supposed 
 to recognise a person, I only saw in the confu- 
 sion of a sea fight, and during the darkness of 
 night." 
 
 " Bah !" uttered O'Brien, in a tone of con- 
 tempt; '' from motives of revenge, for the blow 
 you received when cut down, you trumped up 
 this ridiculous accusation. Then, turning to the 
 alguazil mayor, he said, " it was fortunate for 
 this gentleman and for you too, Senor Alguazil,- 
 that I returned last night from Madrid. Lieu- 
 tenant D'Almarde knew that Captain Bowen, who 
 commands the Terpsichore British frigate, sent
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 289 
 
 a letter to "whoever might command the Ves- 
 tale, requesting that that ship shoukl be given 
 up to him as his lawful prize, and also desiring 
 to know whether Lieutenant O'More, and those 
 ■who accompanied him to the deck of the A^estale, 
 were still there, as he was ready to exchange 
 prisoners. Now Lieutenant D'Alraarde knew his 
 superior officer refused even to answer Captain 
 Bowen's letter,* therefore, his conduct in pur- 
 suing this case is reprehensible, and is, besides, 
 degrading to you as chief magistrate, and I shall 
 report it. I now demand this gentleman's re- 
 lease." 
 
 The alguazil mayor had by this time recovered 
 his presence of mind. The accusation against 
 the prisoner was certainly at an end ; but, never- 
 theless, he was resolved not, if possible, to lose 
 his grasp of the prisoner till he heard from the 
 Duke. He therefore mildly replied, " that he 
 was sorry he was mixed up in a case that had no 
 foundation whatever ; he was obliged, however, 
 
 * Fact. 
 VOL. I. O
 
 290 OUE BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 to act as lie did. He abandoned the prosecution, 
 Lilt be could not release the prisoner before cer- 
 tain forms "svere complied with ; but he would 
 instantly draw up his report, and forward it to 
 the higher authorities, and the moment he re- 
 ceived the reply the Senor O'More should be 
 released." 
 
 Admiral O'Brien was getting in a passion ; but 
 Lieutenant O'More pacified him. 
 
 '•' Dear friend, let it be as this senor says ; a 
 few days, more or less, of imprisonment — " 
 
 " No," interrupted O'Brien; ''there shall be 
 no imprisonment. Senor Alguazil, if this gen- 
 tleman must remain under your control, place 
 him where his friends can visit him." 
 
 '• Most willingly, Admiral," said the alguazil, 
 mildly. " He shall have an apartment in the 
 castle, and be well served." Then, turning to 
 one of his officers, he said, " Order the calese to 
 draw up at the door; and disperse the crowd." 
 
 The French officers, in the meantime, left the 
 hall of justice crest-ftillen, and exceedingly un-
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 291 
 
 easy; for they well knew Admiral O'Brien's 
 popularity with the French Directory. Lieutenant 
 D'Almarde, livid with rage, left the place, 
 vowing, with a fearful oath, that, if it cost him 
 his life, he would be revenged. 
 
 When the crowd were dispersed, our hero, and 
 his staunch friend, the commodore, entered the 
 calese; two alguazils mounted the box, and they 
 were driven to the gates of the castle. An 
 officer there, on receiving a paper from one of the 
 alguazils, desired the two friends to follow him, 
 and they were conducted into a very comfortable 
 chamber ; and, as our hero had been many hours 
 without food, a repast, and some wine, was fur- 
 nished him. 
 
 *' My dear friend," said Magnus O'More to his 
 companion. " How often am I to owe my preser- 
 vation from misfortune to your interference ? 
 That rascally magistrate would have condcmue<l 
 me, without ray having a chance of clearing my- 
 self. I did not recognise that Lieutenant
 
 292 OUR BLUE JACKETS 
 
 D'Almardc, he kept Lis face covered ; it was he 
 who had me pitched overboard." 
 
 " Infernally cowardly conduct altogether, my 
 lad," said O'Brien. " By Jove ! I hardly knew 
 yon, you have grown so amazingly. Now, you 
 must tell me your adventures, — all that has 
 happened to you since we parted. This wine is 
 not bad, considering where we are." 
 
 •Lieutenant O'More gave a brief account of all 
 that had occurred to him, which greatly inte- 
 rested O'Brien ; who said, as the young man 
 finished speaking, — 
 
 " It strikes me as a rather singular circum- 
 stance, that the a^guazil mayor should pursue 
 you so vindictively, after declaring yourself to be 
 the grandson of the most powerful subject under 
 the crown of Spain." • 
 
 " The present alguazil ma3'or," said Lieutenant 
 O'More, " the man you saw, was not the magis- 
 trate who heard my case first. This man is a 
 brute, the other appeared a just and honourable
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 293 
 
 magistrate ; his removal to a higher appointment, 
 at this juncture, seems to me at least singular. 
 But enough about myself; tell me, dear friend, 
 something of yourself. I congratulate you on 
 your success in attaining a rank few obtain so 
 young." 
 
 " Faith, my boy, good luck and a petticoat did 
 the business this time ; though, to be sure, I had 
 my share of hard blows, but as to adventures, 
 mine were common-place. You see, after a well- 
 contested action with a dashing English frigate, 
 during whidh we were both dismasted, and 
 terribly cut up in an action of forty-eight hours — ■ 
 a tremendous gale separated us, — that is we botli 
 drove before the gale, helpless, for seven mortal 
 days. We were near foundering ; what became 
 of the M , I cannot say." 
 
 " Cdi ! " interrupted our hero, " I can tell you. 
 She rigged jury-masts, and contrived, after incre- 
 dible efforts, to reach Madeira, — her captain 
 desperately wounded, first and third lieutenants 
 
 killed, several petty officers and seamen killed, 
 
 3
 
 294 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 and more tlian twenty wounded. I heard Captain 
 Death speak of the action, at Gibraltar, but, 
 strange to say, did not know who commanded the 
 French frigate ; but he said it was a splendidly- 
 fought action on both sides, and that the captain 
 
 of the M acknowledged he had the worst of 
 
 it, for it was as much as ever he could do to keep 
 the ship afloat till they reached Madeira." 
 
 "Well, upon my conscience,"" returneJ the 
 Admiral, " we were in quite as bad a plight as 
 
 the M . We worked the pumps day and 
 
 night. I might say I was the only officer un- 
 touched; and as to the ship, she was a riddle ; 
 and only for the assistance we received from the 
 Fraternite, which luckily came across us, we 
 should probably have foundered had the gale 
 come on again. However, on reaching Brest, I 
 was ordered up to Paris, and was received in a 
 most flattering manner by the Directory, and 
 made an admiral. 
 
 '' One day I fell in love with a petticoat I saw 
 scudding up the Champs Elysee. This same
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHOllE. 295 
 
 petticoat belonged to Eugenia de Villamonte, 
 the daughter of one of the five Directors. After 
 considerable manoeuvring, I managed to work to 
 windward of the father after the daughter struck, 
 and I shortly became a Benedict. My father-in- 
 law's interest soon set me afloat, and at present I 
 command the fine two-decker, the Lioness, and 
 call myself the father of two boys and one girl. 
 So there you have my adventures in full." 
 
 " My dear O'Brien, you are a bad story-teller, 
 you have sadly clipped your adventures, for I 
 heard one or two of your exploits spoken of when 
 ■our fleet blockaded Brest ; however, another time, 
 I trust to get a more complete account. Now, I 
 want you to tell me how you chanced to appear 
 at so critical a moment, and how you picked up 
 all the information you so effectually made use of 
 at the trial to-day?"' 
 
 " That's very simple, Mag, my boy. I came 
 here about a month ago with two frigates, three 
 fine brigs, and a few mortar-boats. Shortly after 
 my arrival I had to proceed to Madrid; but,
 
 296 OUK BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 luckily, I returned yesterday, and went to my old 
 berth, the posada, and a most excellent one it is. 
 I need not tell you that Senora Torridos is the 
 landlady, the kindest old soul living. I found 
 the whole establishment in confusion, and the 
 hostess herself moaning and groaning like a 
 stranded ship, and as pretty a girl as a man need 
 wish to make love to, crying and sobbing, and 
 wringing her hands. Ah, Magnus, my lad, you 
 have been saying soft things in Juana's ear." 
 
 '' I assure you there's not a kinder-hearted or 
 better girl in all Spain," answered the lieutenant, 
 eagerly. '' She is betrothed to a muleteer, named 
 Juan ; the poor fellow got into a scrape helping 
 me, and she's alarmed about him." 
 
 ^'Oh, bother!" exclaimed O'Brien, ''tell 
 that to the marines." 
 
 " Well," interrupted Magnus, "what did Juaua 
 say?" 
 
 "Ah I" said the commodore, " I thought the 
 wind was in that quarter. However, my lad, I 
 let the young girl alone ; I'm modest, so turned
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 297 
 
 to Mere Torredos, and asked what was the 
 matter." 
 
 " * Oh, Adrah*al O'Brien, yon will snrely help 
 yonr conntryman,' said the dame. 
 
 " ' Let me alone for that/ said I. ' Where is 
 he, and what is he, and what has he done V 
 
 *' ^ He's in prison,' says she, ' for mnrder and 
 robbery.' 
 
 *' I whistled loud and long. ' Ob, by Jove!' I 
 repeated, ' murder and robbery, — that's bad.' 
 
 " ' Lord bless us ! ' she exclaimed. ' He never 
 committed either one or the other. He's a sailor, 
 like yourself; his name is O'More, — Lieutenant 
 O'More, of the Terpsichore.' 
 
 " By St. Peter's toe ! I gave such a spring up, 
 that I tumbled over a small table, knocked to 
 smithereens a tray full of glasses and decanters ; 
 and, trying to save the confounded tray, I slipped, 
 and fell into the old hostess's arms, who, finding 
 my six feet two and fifteen stone weight beyond 
 her powers, with a groan, we both came to the 
 ground. Juana rushed to lift her mother ; and,
 
 298 OUR BLUE JACKETS, 
 
 upon my salvation, I was nearly breathless with 
 the exertions I made trying to save the old lady 
 from being squashed. When we were all to 
 rights, I began eagerly to ask five hundred 
 questions in a breath. Then I heard all about 
 your getting ashore, your stripping a dead marine, 
 and your arrest. I conld do nothing that night ; 
 but early in the morning I went on board the 
 Vestale, and had an interview with Lieutenant 
 S — ■ — , her nominal commander. I saw at once 
 that he fonght shy of the affiiir of re-taking 
 the frigate ; but he stated, accurately enough, 
 your coming on deck to take possession of her, 
 and that Lieutenant D'Almarde excited the crew 
 to re-take the frigate. He said you made a furious 
 resistance, and in the scuffle you were thrown 
 overboard. He then stated how Lieutenant 
 D'Almarde, the marine ofiScer, and brother to 
 the second lieutenant of the Vestale, quitted the 
 ship in a boat, and that the boat, no doubt, was 
 capsized. I then understood the whole aflftiir, 
 and hurried off to the court, where, it seems, I
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. 299 
 
 arrived just at the nick of time ; and now this 
 rascally alguazil requires a couple of days before 
 he can release you according to law ; confound 
 their laws, I say." 
 
 " Well, never mind, O'Brien, what's a couple 
 of days ?" said the lieutenant. " Now I have you 
 to supi)ort me I do not care a jot ; but this sudden 
 exchange of a just man for a rascal, who appears 
 actuated by some concealed motive, startles me." 
 
 " Oh, by Jove ! don't trouble about it now ; by 
 my faith, before they should hurt a hair of your 
 head I would turn the guns of the Lioness upon 
 this old castle, and knock the stones about their 
 ears, till they cried ' Peccavi ! ' — a set of -dirty, 
 garlic-eating, cowardly scum. Bah ! we don't 
 want such allies." 
 
 '' You forget, dear friend, that my lamented 
 mother was a Spaniard," said Magnus. 
 
 " Oh! be easy, don't talk of the women ; by 
 Saint Peter, they are all angels. By Jupiter, 
 what ankles, what waists ?" and the commodore 
 heaved a sigh.
 
 300 OUE BLUE JACKETS, &C. 
 
 '' Faith, I'll tell your wife, O'Brien," said the 
 lieutenant, laughing ; " what business have you 
 to look at a pretty ankle?" 
 
 " Senors," exclaimed an official, entering the 
 chamber, " the gates are about to be closed, the 
 last bell has rung." 
 
 " Well, Magnus, my boy," said the kind- 
 hearted O'Brien, rising and shaking our hero 
 warmly by the hand, '' we must part ; but 1 
 trust that this war will soon cease, and that 
 hereafter we may meet on the soil that gave us 
 birth. I shall only be able to see you for a mo- 
 ment to-morrow ; though, perhaps, I can manage, 
 by representing your case to the Spanish admiral, 
 to get you set at liberty at once ; for, positively, 
 this affair of the Vestale is a disgrace to both 
 nations. Adieu!" and, pressing each other's 
 hands, the two friends parted. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF ILUN0I9-URBANA 
 
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