THE QUEEN'S CUP A STORY OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10761, 27 March 1897, Page 3

THE QUEEN'S CUP A STORY OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE

By G. A. HENTY, Autfcer of "The Curse of Carne's Hold," " Hidden Foe," " With Clive in India," " Kujub the Juggler," " A Woman of the Oonimune," &c.

{COPYRIGHT.']

CHAPTER XX.

Ohrittmas passed off quietly. As scon as it was known that Lady Greendaie had returned the neighbours called, and for the

nest few months there was the usual round of dinner parties. To all remarks as to the length of time she had bean away, Lady Greendaie merely replied Bthat Bertha had been staying among friends, and that as she herself had not beitn in very good health she preferred staying in town, where shs could always .find a physician close at hand if she needed one. It was not until they bad been back for more than a month that the engage menfc between Bertha and Major Mallet! was announced by Lady Greendaie to her friends and it was generally supposed that it had but just taken place. The announcement gave great satisfaction, for the general opinion had been that Bertha would get engaged in London, and that Greendals would b3 virtually lost to the county It was generally admitted that nothing "oould be nicer than this engagement with hec neighbour, who, although he had so far been comparatively little known, was a- popular character, both for himself and as one who as a winner of the Victoria Cross, was a credit to the county. He was known, too as a good landlord ana a fairlyl keen sportsman. ■ The marriage was arraDged to take place in • April. Lady Greendaie explained, " There is no reason for a long delay. They have known each other ever since Bertha was a child They intend to spand their honeymoon oa board Major Mallett's yacht, the Osprey, and will go up the Mediterranean until the heat begins to get too oppressive, and then they talk about sailing round the islands, or, at any rate, cruising for some time off the West of Scotland." " Oh, yes, Bertha is as fond of it as he is. I think that they are well matched in every respect, and I need not say how satisfactory it is to me that she will be settled 50 close at band." . About the same time George Lecbmere, in a rather mysterious manner, told Frank that i be wished for a few minutes' conversation I with him ] " What is it, George 2 Anything wrong I with' the cellar ?" • , s "No, sir, it is not that. . The fact is that Anna Parsons, Miss Greendale's maid you know, and I have settled to get married too.": . ' '•Capital, George; lam heartily glad of £t, '■ Frank said, shaking him warmly by the hand. «I never thought that I should get to care for; anyone again, bnt you see. we were thrown a good deal together on the voyage home, and I_ don't know how it came about but wehad pretty well arranged it before we got back, and now we have settled it altogether." "I am not surprised to hear it, Gaorge. I rather fancied, from what I saw on board, that something was Khely to come oE it. It is the best thing by far for yon." "Well, sir, as I said. I never thought that I should care for anyone else, but I am sure that I shall make a bafctsr husband now than I should have done had I married five years ago." " That lam sure you will You have had a rough lesson, and it ,has made a great impression, and I doubt whether your marriage would have been a happy one had you married then after what yon told me of your jealous temper. Now lam sure that neither Anna nor anyone else could wish for a better husband than you will make. Well now what are you thinking of doing, for I sup Dose yon have thought it over waJl J" ■ "That is what wa cannot quite ssttle Major. I should like to stay with you all my life just as I am." "I don't see that you could do that—at least, not in your present condition. There is'no farm vacant, and if there was one I must give the present tenant's son the option of it. That, has always been the rule on the estate. However, we need not settle on that at present. When are you going to get married? I should like it to be at the same time as we are. lam sure that Miss Greendale, would be pleased. We both owe you a great deal, and as you know, I regard you as my closest friond." ■ "Thank you, Major, but i am sure that neither Anna nor I would care to be married before a church full of grand people, and we have sgreed that we won't do it until after you come back from your trip. Miss Bertha has promised Anna that she shall go with her as her maid, and, of course, Major, I shall want to go with yon." ''Well, you might get married the week before, and still go with us." George shook bis he&d. " I think that it would be batter the other way, Majo\ We will go with you as we are, and get married after you come back " The nesfe day Frank had a long talk with Hr Norton. "Well, sir, jour plan would suit me very well; nothing could be bettor. In fact I was going to tell you that I was bsginning to find that the outdoor work was gettingtoo mnch for me, and that thongh I should be very sorry to give it up altogether, 1 mnet either arrange with you to have h<sip or else find a successor to ma. lam sere that the arrangement yon propose would s>«ut mo exactly. Geore» Lecbmere would be jast the man for the work. We used to think him the best judge of be&sta in the county, tad he is a good a!I----round fanner. It he were to take the work of the hciae farm off my bands I could kesp on very weil with the rest of tha estate for another two or three yearn, and as ha would act as ray assistant he would, by the end of that time, be quite capable of taking it over aitofjether. 1 shonia then move into Chip- . penhara. We have two married daughters living, and now that we have no one at home my wife ha§ been saying for some time' that she would rather settle there than go on living in the country, and there is really no more occasion for me'to go on working. So, as soon as Lecbreere has got the whole thing m hand I shall be quite ready to hand it over to him." " Well, I am very glad that it is so, Norton. Of conrse, I should never ,bav e made any change until, you y&uraelf were perfectly willing to give it up, bat an you are willing I am certainly glad to be able to put him into it. A.s yoa know, he saved my life, and has dene me many osher great services, and I regard him as a friend and vyant to keep hi ji near sic. Of coarse, he will go into the farmboare, and after you retire he can either move into yours or remain there, as be likes. Naturally, as long as yoa live, Norton, I shali continue tbe rate, of pay you have always had. Yon o^er 39 years with my father, acci I shoold certainly make no difference in that respect." "Weil, George,' I have arranged yonr business," Frank *aid that evening. " Norton is getting on in life now, and he begins to liad bis work in winter a little too hard for Lim^o I ha?e arranged that you are to take the management of the home farm altogether cJI his hands, and will, of conrse, establish yourself at the house. You will be a sort of assistant to him in other matters and get up the work, and in the course of a. coopie of y&ars at the outside he will retire altogether, ar..cl you will be steward. If you like you c*n -work the home farm on your own account, bnt that will be for your conai^eratios. How do you think that you will like that?" . . ''■ I should like it above everything, Major, tad I am gratefal to you, indeed." " There is nothing to be grateful for at all, George. 1 know that my interests will be sifer in your bands tban in anyone else's, ;«i with ycisr experience and the'knowledge you have of all the tenants, and soon, no one cogM be better fitted for the post, and Jo that- casfi vra shall gee each other pretty well every day. When Norton goes, you can ot course either move into the steward's house cr reraaiia at the farm." ;" I tbfns: I shonld rather stop at the farm, ■-st, *a too guy, one need not settle that •:rw; I sboald say that one bonse is about* :>* goal £J3 the ether, and if I am working n.e hca)3 farm it will be aiore convenient to be U.vre." "Weil, I a/i glad that you like the ».rrjr-jeaseist, George. I had it in my mind wht-n I was taking to you two days ago, but ' V ocf'M r sa" Norton, and I found that he was s wiiijtg to f**.fa-<s, I did not propose it. For- a toils**!; h* ia s»iiliag to hard over the work c to yea when you are ready to take it up; I bi'.t in s/iy case X shoold have put you in the i s horce farm some day."' j r Sewarfis tb-2 and ot Fefanary Lady Green- t

dale and Bertha went up to town for a fortnight, intimating to Frank that they would be so busy witb important business that his presence there would not bo desired. He however, travailed with them to London' and then went round to Southampton, where ha had a consultation with the firm ia whose v yard the yacht was laid up and the haad of the great upholstering firm tbere, and arranged For material alterations ia the pkns of the cabins and their redecoration. Evsifthicg was to be completed by the beginning of April. He had writton to Hawkins to mbet him on board. " You must have everything ready by th~ oth,' he said. "It won't do for you to "have men messing about till everything is finish<>d down below. They have promised faithfully to have their men ont by the 20th of March Of course you can take on two of the hands at ence if yoa like, and get the blocks and spars scraped in a shed ashore, which will be a saving of time when yoa bagin to fit out but everything mu3t be in readiness and all stores on board by the 4tb. We shall arrive late in the afternoon or perhaps in the evening of the sth, and shall get under way next morning." " I will have all ready, sir." • "Lecnmere will ba down here a week before tnat, to see that the wines and all omer stores in the cabin are on board- the upholsterers will have everything ia perfect .order, so that you will have nothing whatever to do or see about in that respect Of course, she will be painted below throughout. 1 hope that you have been able to eat the same crew."' ■ " There is no fear of their not all coming sir, except Purvis; he haa been bad all the winter, and I doubt whether he wilt be able to go with us." "I am sorry to hear that; tell him that I shall make him an allowance, of a pound a week for the seasoned that I shall give him a little penßion of 10a a week as long as he lives. I ghall consider that all who went with me on that crui«« to the Wesi Indies have a claim upon mo." "It is very good of you, sir. If he should not go I should take onr last second H« was asking rce abont it a fortnight ago He said that he suppoaed that you would not want a second mate another cruise." " I should certainly have talcsm him if he was willing to go, Hawkins. ' He didus good service last year, although, no doubt, one mate is quite sufficient for ns." "Well, sir, I am sure that he will be very glad to>go, if Purvis can't; but, as he says he and the extra hands you took on for the craise don't look to sail in the Osprey this year unless there ij a vacancy. You behaved so hanasome to them all when they were paid off that they were more than satisfied • etil of coarse, if there is any vacancy I shall fill it up from them. It may be that one or two of the hands may get berths as skippers m small yachta, in which case I shall p lc k out the best of last year's extra hands.

The time for the wedding approached, lnere was some consultation between Frank and Lady Greendaie as to .whether the tenants should be given a dinner on that occasion or on their return, and it was settled that it would be more convenient to postpone it. "I am sure they would rather have you and Bartha here, and it Would be much more convenient in every way. We have so much to think about now, and there will be so many arrangements to be made." "I qnite agree with yon. I will pu t it all in the hands of Rafters, of Chippenham I think that it is only right to give it to local people. It they cannot do it themselves they will arrange with London contractors We shad want two big marquees, one for your tenants and mice and their wives and families, and the other for all the labourers and farm servants." "And there muet be another for all the children," Bertha put in. "Very well, Bertha; Norton will be able , to tell me how many of each,section of mv tenants we shall have to provide for, and ! your steward can give you the number of I yours. Then, of course, we muse have a military band and fireworks, and we had better have a big platform put down for those who like to dance, and'a lot of shows I and things for the elders and children, and a conjnrer with a big lucky basket and things of that sort. There are plenty of men in town who will undertake all that part of the business. Of course, at present one cannot give even an approximate date, but I will tell them that they shall have a fortnight's notice. '•■.,.■ . "I wonder what has become of Oarthew Major? ' Gaorge Lechmere said, as he was having a last talk with Frank on the eve of the wedding. "He will gnash his teeth when be sees it in the paper." "I have thought of him a good many times Oreorge. He is an evil scoundrel, and nothing would piease me more than to hear that he was dead. When I remember how many years he kept up his malice against me for having beaten him in a fight, I know how intense must ba his hatred of me now I have thwarted all his plans and brfrned his yacht It is not that 1 am afraid of him. personally' bnt there is no saying what form his vengeance will take, for that he will sooner or later try to be revenged, knowing the fellow as I do, I feel absolutely certain." "I have often thought of it myself, sir rerbaps he is out in Hayti still." "No Chance of that, George. Miss Greendale said that he told her that he had money sufficient to pay for a ten years' cruise. That may have been a lie, but he must have had money sufficient to last him for some time anyhow, and you may be sure that he took it. on shore with him. He may have died from the effects of that wound you gave him, but if he is ahve I have no doubt that he is in England somewhere. Of course he would not ,show himself where he was known, having been a heavy defaulter last year, bnt he rnav havo let his beard grow, and so "diigni-ed himself that be would not be easily reco*. msed. As to what he is doing, of course I have not the slightest idea; but w* may be quite sure that he Is not up to any good Well, George, then it-is qnite settled that you and Anna are to go oil with the luggage directly the wedding is over. The dogcart will take my traps and yours over tine first thing to Greendaie, and a carriage will be ready to take you and her and all the luggage over to Chippenham as soon as we get back from church, and you will catch the half-past 1. o'clock train and will be at Southampton at 5, when you will come ashore with the gig and meet us at 8 o'clock at the station with a carriage to take us dow-n to the boat." "I will be there. Major, and see that everything is ready for you on board." _ When packing up his things in the morning, George Lechmere put aside a pistol and a dagger that he had taken from the sash of a mutineer that he had killed in India " They are not the sort of things a man generally carries at a wedding." he said grimly "but until I know something of what that villain is doing I mean to keep them handy for use. There is never any saying what he may be up to, and I know well enough that the Major, whatever he say*, will never give the matter a thought " He loaded the pistol and dropped it into his coat pocket; then he opened his waistcoat, cut a slit in the lining under bis left arm, and pushed the dagger down it until it was stopped by the slender steal crosspiece at the handle. "I will make a neater job of it afterwards,' he said to himself; "that will do for the present, and I can get at it in a moment." The wedding went off as such things generally do. The church was crowded, the girls of the village school lined the path from the gate to the church door and strewed flowers as the bridal party arrived, and as they drove off to Greendaie tenants of both estates collected in the churchyard cheered them heartily. There was a large gathering at breakfast, but at last th& toasts were all drunk and the awkward time of waiting over and at 3 o'clock Major Mallett and his wife drove off amidst the cheers of the crowd assembled to see them start. " Thank God that is all over," Frank said heartily as they patsed out tbrongh the lodee gates. & It was half-past 8, and Captain Hawkins was standing at the landing stage in a furious passion. "Where can that fellow Jackson have got to 1" he said, stamping his foot. " I said that you were all to be back in a quarter of an hour when we landed, and it is threequarters oE an hour now. I never knew him do snch a thing before, and I would not have bad tuch a thing happen f.his evening for any money. What will tho Major think when he finds only five men instead of nix in the gig on sneb an occasion as this ? We shall bo 1 having them dossrn in a minute or two. Jackj eon bad* better not show bia face on board I after this. It is the most provoking thing I ! ever knew." I "It ain't his way, Captain," one of the men j said. " Jackson can go on the spree like the i rest or us, hut I never knew him do such a i thing all the 7ear? Ir.nve known him, when

I there was work to be done, and I am sure he j would not do so this evening. He may huve got knocked down or run over or xnme- ! thing." . '.' I will- take an oar it _you like, Cipfaio," a man in a yachtsman suit, who was loitering about near, said. •' I have nothing to do, I and may as' well row ofE as do anything else. j You can put me on shore in the dingey after--1 wards." < |_ " All right; ray lad ; take No. 2 thwart, it iis too dark to see faces, and the owner is not likely to notice that tfiere is a strange hand on board. I will give you half-a-crown ghdiy for the job." ! The man got in the boat and took his I seat. j " Here they come," the Captain went on. "We are only just in time. Up-end your oars, lad*. We ain't strong enough to cheer, bud we will give them a hearty 'God bless yon ' as they cotno down." George Lechmere came oa first, and banded in a bundle of wraps, parasols, and umbrellas. The Captain stood at the top of the steps, and as Frank and Bartba came up he took off his hat. j "Gorl bless yon and your wife, sir," he said, and the men re-echoed the words in a deep chorus. " Thank you,-C+ptaio ; thank you all, lads, for ray wife and myself," Frank said, heartily, and a minute later the boat pushed off. The tide W3S running out strong, and they were half way across it towards the dark mass of yachts, when there was a sadden crash forward. "What is it '!" " This fellow has sfcova in the boat, sir," the bowoar exclaimed, and then came a series of hurried exclamations. Frank had not canght the words, but the rush of water aft told him that something serious bad happened. "R>w, men, row," hs shouted. " Steer to the nearest yacht, Hawkins." " We.shall never get there, sir. She will be full in half a minute." " Let each man- atiok to his oar," Frank said, standing np. "We aft will hold on to the boat." Then he raised hla voics in a shout. " Yachts, ahoy. S«nd boats; we are sinking. Dou't be frightened, darling," he said to Eectha; " keep hold of the gunwale. I can keap you up easily enough until help comes, but it is better to stick to the boat. We must have run against something that has stove her in." A moment later the water was up to the thwarts, she gava a lurch and than rolled over. Frank had thrown his arm round Bettha, and as the boat capsized he clnDg Ito it with his diaangagad hand. " Don't try to get hold oE the keal," he j said. "It would turn her over again. Ju3t | let our hands rest on her, and take hoid of [ the edge of one of the planks. That i* it, I Hawkins; do you get the othar side and just [ keep her floating as she is. We shall have help in a minate or two. Are you all right George?/' " Yes, I am at her stern. Dj you want assistance, sir ? " " No, we are all right, George." A moment later a man came up beside him, and put his hand heavily on his shoulder. " You won last time, Matlatt," he hissed in'his ear. It ia my turu now." The man's weight was pressing him under water, and the boat gave a lurch. Frank loosed his hold of Bsrtha with the words, " Hold oh, dear, for a minute," and, turning ' grappled with his enemy, at the same moment grasping his right" wrist as tha arm was raised to strike him with a knife. In a moment both went below the water. They came up beyond the stern, and Frank said " Take cara of Bertha, George—Carthew—" and than he went down again. Furiously they struggled. They were wsll matched in strength, but Frank felt that his antagonist was careless of his own lifa for he had wound his legs round him, and uuable to wrench his arm from his grasp was doing his utmost to prevent them coming to the surface. Suddenly, when he felt that he could no longer retain his breath, he felt arms thrown" round both of them, and a , moment later cama to the surface Then he heard an exclamation of " Thank God I " an arm was raised and two blows struck • rapidly. He felt Carthew's grasp relax th^ knife dropped from his hand, and as he shook himself free he sank under the jgater ' "Are you all right, Major J" his rescuer ! said. ' ■' " Yes," he gasped. • ■ • . ■ ' "Pat your band on my shoulder: the boat ! is not a length away." . A minute later Frank was beside Bertha ■ again. "Where have you been, Frank? I was frightened." •"One of the men grasped me," ha said, j 1 and I should have turnad the boat over if I had not let go. Howaver, thanks to George < Lechmere, who came to my help, I have , shaken him off. Ah ! here is help." \ Three or four boats were indeed rowing up ] the men in several ya'chtg having leapt into 1 the.diogeys floating astern and rowed to the i rescue. The four clinging to the gig were I taken on befrrd by one of them, while the < others picked up the men who were floating ( supported by tbeir oars. , " Don't say a word about it, Georpra " Frank ' whispered. I The Osprey was lying bnt two or three i hundred'yards away, and they were soon t alongside. . | " This is not the sort of welcome I thought i to give you on board, dear," he said, as he t helped Bertha on deck and went down the i companion with her. Anna burst into ex- t clamaftons of dismay at seeing the dripping t ngares. \ "We have had an accident, Anna," Frank t said, cheerfully, •• but I don't think we are any c the worse .for it. Please take your mistress c aft and get her into dry things at once c Steward, open one of thosa bottles of Cham- r paene and give me half a tumbltsr full." 1 He hurried after the others wir.h it. -g .'' Pleas* d"nk this at once, Bertha," he i said. " Yes, you shall have some tea directly but start with thin; it will soon p u -, you in a { glow. Oh! yes, lam going to have one, too- t but a ducking is no odds to me." ' a Then he ran up on deck. .. ** \ ■ " You have saved my life again, George • t for that scoundrel would have drowned us c Doth." t "I saw the knife in his hand as you weat t down, and knew that you wanted me more t than Miss—l mean Mrs Mallett did." 1 "How did you make him leave go so t quickly 1" t " I had a sort of fear that sooner or later c that villain would be up to something, and I V had made up my mind That I would always i have a weapon handy, and this momin^ s I stuck tbat dagger of mine inside c the lining of my waistcoat, so as to a be handy. And it was handy. You J were not five yards from me when you y went down, and I dived for you, but I could f not find you at first, and had to come up v once before I found you. Of course, I could o not use the dagger before I £ot up and found c which was which, and then I pnt an end to s "■" o "Then you killed him, George? " c " I don't think tbat he will trouble you c any more, sir; and if ever a chap deserved o his fare that villain did. Why, sir, do you a know how it all happened ?" t " No, I did not catch what the man at the s bow said; there was such a confusion for- c ward." o "He said that a man had staved the boat p in somehow. He must have taken the place of one of the men on purpose to do it." n " Well, George, I can't say that I'm sorry." c " I am heartily glad, sir. lam no more b sorry for killing him than for shooting one v, of those murderous niggers; I««s sorry a ri great deal. The man deserved hanging. He ii was intending to murder you, and perhaps o Mr* Mallett, and I killed him as I shoald fi h^ve killed a mad dog that was attacking r, you." „ Well, aay nothing about it at present, g George. It would bs a great shock to my 'I wife if she were to know it. Now, you had h better go and change your things at once, as a I am going to do. Are all the men h rescued 1" c " Yes, sir, they are all five on board.1' a " Hawkins," Frank said, putting his hand tl in his pocket, " give the men who came to fr help us a couple of sovereigns each, and tell c. onr men I don't warn, them to talk about the s; affair. I will see you about it again." Ol Frank was not long in getting into dry a clothes, and a few minutes later Bertha came s < in \. * tl Are yon none the worse for it, dear 1 " . 0 , "Not a bit, Frank; that champagne has C : thoroughly warmed me. What a sudden c i affair it all was. Is everyone safe ? " , " Yes, thoy 3tuck to the oars, and' all our f< crew were picked up. It was a b*d fttart, f< was it not? But it has never happened to j w me before, and I hope that it will never j b happen to me again." j "I suppose we rau into alias floating !s[ timber, Frank." \ "It must have been something of that ' a , sort," be said " Now, lam sure you must a l be quite ready for supper. I am, I can toll a <

yon. I don't think either of us ate much at breakfast. We shan't be able to make an j eS&\ Bta*t to-morrow. No doubt they have towe&v ths gig alongside, and I must, send. her ashore the first thing in the morning, and they will pat her right ie two or three hours. I will go up when we have finished and give orders to Hawkins about it." " Some people would be inclined to thick this an unlucky beginning," said Ejrtha, with a slight tone of interrogation. " I am certainly uot one of them'" he laughed. '• I had only one suspicion, and that ia at an end. You know what it was, | dear, but the spall is broken. He had a long j inn of minor successes, but I have won the I only prizi worth having for which we have | been rivals. Practically 1 regard the accident as rather fortunate^for although we have had some time together on board the Osprey I think that we were both inclined to feel a little of the awkwardness from which newly-married paople are supposed to snffer for a day or two, anrj the'excitement of this little affair has, I thick besu very opportuse." ' " That is oue way of looking at it," she laughed, " bub perhaps you are right." Some days later the body of a sailor was washed ashore near Selsey Bill; An inquest was held, and a verdict returned that; the man had been murdered by some person or persons unknown ; but although the police at Portsmouth, Southampton, Cowes, and Kyde made vigilant inquiries, they were unable to ascertain that any yacht sailor haillog from those . ports had suddenly disappeared. There was much discussion in the forecastle of the Osprey as to the identity and motives of the man who had firsc got into conversation with Jackson, asked him to take a drink, which must have faeun hocussed, for the man remembered nothing afterwards; it was evidentthat he had done it in order to take his place. The fellow had staved in the boat, and had, as was supposed, afterwards swum to shore, but the crime seemed so singularly motiveless that it was finally put down to be the work of a madman. It was not until the day before the Osprey anchored again in Cowes, three months later, that Bertha, on expressing some apprehension of further trouble from Carthew, if he had survived the wound George Lechmere gave him, learned the true account of the sinking of the gig, as she went on board at Southampton on her wedding day. • [the end ]