Mr. Midshipman Easy - Frederick Marryat (best ereader for students TXT) 📗

the sound of Captain Wilson’s voice, slowly opened his eyes without moving his head, and appeared to recognise him.

“Are you in much pain, Easy?” said the captain, kindly.

Easy closed his eyes again, and murmured, “Mesty, Mesty!”

“He wants his servant, the ship’s corporal, sir,” said the surgeon.

“Well,” replied Captain Wilson, “he had better have him: he is a faithful fellow, and will nurse him well. When you go on board, Mr Daly, desire the first lieutenant to send Mesty on shore with Mr Gascoigne’s and Mr Easy’s chests, and his own bag and hammock. Good heavens! I would not for a thousand pounds that this accident had occurred. Poor foolish boys-they run in couples, and if one’s in a scrape the other is sure to share it. Gentlemen, I return you many thanks for your kindness, and I must accept of your promised care for my unfortunate officers. I sail tomorrow at daylight. You will oblige me by informing their friends, the Rebieras, of their mischance, as I am sure they will contribute all they can to their comfort.” So saying, Captain Wilson bowed and quitted the room, followed by the surgeon.

As soon as the door was closed the two midshipmen turned their heads round and looked at each other, but they were afraid to speak at first, in case of the return of the surgeon. As soon as it was announced to them that Captain Wilson and Mr Daly were outside the barrack-gate, our hero commenced-“Do you know, Ned, that my conscience smites me, and if it had not been that I should have betrayed those who wish to oblige us, when poor Captain Wilson appeared so much hurt and annoyed at our accident, I was very near getting up and telling him of the imposition, to relieve his mind.”

“I agree with you, Jack, and I felt much the same-but what’s done cannot be undone. We must now keep up the imposition for the sake of those who, to help us, have deceived him.”

“I don’t think that you would find an English surgeon who would have consented to such an imposition.”

“No, that is certain; but after all, it is an imposition that has hurt nobody.”

“Oh, I do not wish to moralise-but I repent of my share in the deceit; and had it to be done over again I would not consent to it.”

“Not even for–––—? but I won’t mention her name in barracks.”

“I don’t know,” replied Jack; “but let’s say no more about it, and thank these gentlemen for their kindness.”

“Yes, but we must keep it up until we see the Aurora under all sail.”

“And longer too,” replied Jack; “we must not let the affair get wind even on shore. We must not recover quickly, but still appear to recover. Don Rebiera and his wife must be deceived. I have a plot in my head, but I cannot work it out clear till I see Mesty.”

Don Philip now came in. He had seen Captain Wilson, who had requested him to look after the two invalids, and stated his intention to sail the next morning. They consulted with him, and it was agreed that no one should be acquainted with the real fact but his brother Martin, and that all Palermo should be as much deceived as Captain Wilson, for if not, it would put Father Thomaso on the ‘qui vive,” and make him fulminate more than ever. Our midshipmen ate an excellent dinner, and then remained in bed conversing till it was time to go to sleep; but long before that, Mesty had made his appearance with their clothes. The eyes of the Ashantee said all that was necessary-he never spoke a word, but unlashed his hammock and lay down in a corner, and they were soon all three asleep.

The next morning Captain Wilson called to ascertain how our hero and his companion were, but the room had been darkened, and he could not see their faces plainly. Easy thanked him for his kindness in allowing Mesty to attend them, and having received his orders as to their joining the ship as soon as they recovered, and having promised to be very cautious in their behaviour and keep out of all scrapes, he wished them a speedy recovery, and departed.

In little more than half an hour afterwards, Mesty, who had been peeping out of the shutters, suddenly threw them open with a loud laugh.

The Aurora was under way, with studding sails below and aloft standing out of the roads. Jack and Gascoigne got up, threw off the splints, and danced about in their shirts. As soon as they were quiet again, Mesty said in a grave tone, “Den why you stay at sea, Massa Easy?”

“Very true, Mesty, I’ve asked myself that question often enough lately; because I’m a fool, I suppose.”

“And I, because I can’t help it,” replied Gascoigne; “never mind, we are on shore now, and I look for a famous cruise.”

“But first we must see what the ground is we are to cruise on,” replied Jack; “so, Mesty, let us have a palaver, as they say in your country.”

The two midshipmen got into their beds, and Mesty sat on the chest between them, looking as grave as a judge. The question was, how to get rid of the padre Thomaso. Was he to be thrown over the mole-head to the fishes-or his skull broke-was Mesty’s knife to be resorted to-was he to be kidnapped or poisoned-or were fair means to be employed-persuasion, bribery? Every one knows how difficult it is to get rid of a priest.

As our hero and Gascoigne were not Italians, they thought that bribery would be the more English-like way of doing the thing; so they composed a letter, to be delivered by Mesty to the friar, in which Jack offered to Father Thomaso the moderate sum of one thousand dollars, provided he would allow the marriage to proceed, and not frighten the old lady with ecclesiastical squibs and crackers.

As Mesty was often on shore with Jack, and knew the friar very well by sight, it was agreed that the letter should be confided to his charge; but as it was not consistent that a person in such a state as our hero was represented to be should sit up and write letters, the delivery was deferred for a few days, when after waiting that time, Mesty delivered the letter to the friar, and made signs that he was to take back the answer. The friar beckoned him that he was to accompany him to his room, where he read the letter, and then again made signs to him to follow him. The friar led the way to his monastery, and as soon as Mesty was in his cell, he summoned another who could speak English to act as interpreter.

“Is your master recovering?”

“Yes,” replied Mesty, “he is at present doing well.”

“Have you served him long?”

“No,” replied Mesty.

“Are you very fond of him? does he treat you well, give you plenty of money?”

At these questions, the artful black conceived that there was something in the wind, and he therefore very quietly replied, “I do not care much for him.”

The friar fixed his keen eye upon Mesty, and perceived there was a savage look about the black, from which he augured that he was a man who would suit his purpose.

“Your master offers me a thousand dollars; would you wish to gain this money for yourself?’

Mesty grinned, and showed his sharp-filed teeth.

“It would make me a rich man in my own country.”

“It would,” replied the friar; “now, you shall have it, if you will only give your master a small powder.”

“I understand,” replied Mesty; “hab those things in my country.”

“Well-do you consent?-if so, I will write the letter to get the money.”

“Suppose they find me out?” replied Mesty.

“You will be safe, and you shall be sent away as soon as possible-say, will you consent?”

“The whole thousand dollars?”

“Every one of them.”

“Den give me the powder!”

“Stay a little,” replied the friar, who went out of the cell, and, in about ten minutes, returned with an answer to our hero’s letter, and a paper containing a greyish powder.

“Give him this in his soup or anything-spread it on his meat, or mix it up with his sugar if he eats an orange.”

“I see,” replied Mesty.

“The dollars shall be yours, I swear it on the holy cross.”

Mesty grinned horribly, took his credentials, and then asked,“When I come again?’

“As soon as you have received the money bring it to me at Don Rebiera’s-then give the powder: as soon as it is given you must let me know, for you must not remain in Palermo. I will myself conduct you to a place of safety.”

Mesty then quitted the cell, and was shown out of the monastery.

“By de holy poker, he one d-n rascal!” muttered Mesty, as he was once in the open air. “But stop a little.”

The Ashantee soon arrived at the barracks, and repeated the whole of the conference between him and Friar Thomaso.

“It must be poison, of course,” observed Gascoigne; “suppose we try it upon some animal?”

“No, Massa Gascoigne,” replied Mesty, “I try it myself, by-and-bye. Now what we do?’

“I must give you the order for the thousand dollars, Mesty,” replied Jack. “The rascal here writes to me that for that sum, he will consent not only not to oppose me, but agrees to assist my cause; but the great question is, whether he will keep his word with you, Mesty; if not, I shall lose my money. So therefore we must now have another palaver, and argue the point.”

The point was argued between Jack and Gascoigne. A thousand dollars was a large sum, but Jack’s father was a philosopher. After many pros and cons, it was at last decided that the money should be given to Mesty; but Mesty should state, when he took the money to the friar, that he had administered the powder, and claim it when he presented it.

The next day, the order for the money was given to Mesty, and he went to Friar Thomaso with it. The friar hastened with Mesty to the monastery, and sent for the interpreter.

“You have given it?” inquired the friar.

“Yes-not one hour ago. Here de order for de money.”

“You must run for the money before he is dead, for the powder is very rapid.”

“And me,” replied Mesty, apparently much alarmed, “where am I to go?”

“As soon as you bring the money here, you must go back to the barracks. Remain there till he is dead, and then return here. I will have all ready, and take you, as soon as it is dusk, to a monastery of our order in the mountains, where no one will think of looking for you, till the affair is blown over; and then I will find you a passage in some vessel out of the island.”

Mesty hastened for the money, and taking it in a large bag to the monastery, delivered it to the friar’s charge, and then returned to the barracks to Easy and Gascoigne. It was agreed that he should go with the friar, who would probably remain away some time; indeed, Mesty insisted upon so doing. Mesty stayed two hours, and then returned about dusk to the monastery, and reported the death of our hero. He remained there until it was dark, and then the friar ordered him to tie the bag of dollars to his saddle-bow. They mounted two mules, which stood already caparisoned, and quitted Palermo.

In the morning Don Philip, as usual, made his appearance, and told our hero that the friar had been summoned away by the