About the beginning of the present century, during the height of the war with France, the little fishing village of Fairway was thrown into a state of considerable alarm by the appearance of a ship of war off the coast, and the landing therefrom of a body of blue-jackets. At that time it was the barbarous custom to impress men, willing or not willing, into the Royal Navy. The more effective, and at the same time just, method of enrolling1 men in a naval2 reserve force had not occurred to our rulers, and, as a natural consequence, the inhabitants of sea-port towns and fishing villages were on the constant look-out for the press-gang.
At the time when the man-of-war’s boat rowed alongside of the little jetty of Fairway, an interesting couple chanced to be seated in a bower3 at the back of a very small but particularly neat cottage near the shore. The bower was in keeping with its surroundings, being the half of an old boat set up on end. Roses and honeysuckle were trained up the sides of it, and these, mingling4 their fragrance5 with the smell of tar6, diffused7 an agreeable odour around. The couple referred to sat very close to each other, and appeared to be engaged in conversation of a confidential9 nature. One was a fair and rather pretty girl of the fishing community. The other was a stout10 and uncommonly11 handsome man of five-and-twenty, apparently12 belonging to the same class, but there was more of the regular sailor than the fisherman in his costume and appearance. In regard to their conversation, it may be well, perhaps, to let them speak for themselves.
“I tell ’ee wot it is, Nelly Blyth,” said the man, in a somewhat stern tone of voice; “it won’t suit me to dilly-dally in this here fashion any longer. You’ve kept me hanging off and on until I have lost my chance of gettin’ to be mate of a Noocastle collier; an’ here I am now, with nothin’ to do, yawin’ about like a Dutchman in a heavy swell13, an’ feelin’ ashamed of myself.”
“Don’t be so hasty, Bill,” replied the girl, glancing up at her lover’s face with an arch smile; “what would you have?”
“What would I have?” repeated the sailor, in a tone of mingled14 surprise and exasperation15. “Well, I never—no, I never did see nothin’ like you women for bamboozlin’ men. It seems to me you’re like ships without helms. One moment you’re beatin’ as hard as you can to wind’ard; the next you fall off all of a sudden and scud16 away right before the breeze; or, whew! round you come into the wind’s eye, an’ lay to as if you’d bin17 caught in the heaviest gale18 that ever blow’d since Admiral Noah cast anchor on Mount Ararat. Didn’t you say, not three weeks gone by, that you’d be my wife? and now you ask me, as cool as an iceberg20, what I would have! Why, Nelly, I would have our wedding-day fixed21, our cottage looked after, our boat and nets bought; in fact, our home and business set a-goin’. And why not at once, Nelly? Surely you have not repented22—”
“No, Bill Bowls,” said Nelly, blushing, and laying her hand on the arm of her companion, “I have not repented, and never will repent23, of having accepted the best man that ever came to Fairway; but—”
The girl paused and looked down.
“There you go,” cried the sailor: “the old story. I knew you would come to that ‘but,’ and that you’d stick there. Why don’t you go on? If I thought that you wanted to wait a year or two, I could easily find work in these times; for Admiral Nelson is glad to get men to follow him to the wars, an’ Tom Riggles and I have been talkin’ about goin’ off together.”
“Don’t speak of that, Bill,” said the girl earnestly. “I dread24 the thought of you going to the wars; but—but—the truth is, I cannot make up my mind to quit my mother.”
“You don’t need to quit her,” said Bill; “bring her with you. I’ll be glad to have her at my fireside, for your sake, Nell.”
“But she won’t leave the old house.”
“H’m! well, that difficulty may be got over by my comin’ to the old house, since the old ’ooman won’t come to the noo one. I can rent it from her, and buy up the furniture as it stands; so that there will be no occasion for her to move out of her chair.—Why, what’s the objection to that plan?” he added, on observing that Nelly shook her head.
“She would never consent to sell the things,—not even to you, Bill; and she has been so long the head of the house that I don’t think she would like to—to—”
“To play second fiddle25,” put in the sailor. “Very good, but I won’t ask to play first fiddle. In fact, she may have first, second, and third, and double bass26 and trombone, all to herself as far as I am concerned. Come, Nelly, don’t let us have any more ‘buts’; just name the day, and I’ll bear down on the parson this very afternoon.”
Leaving them to continue the discussion of this interesting point, we will turn into the cottage and visit the old woman who stood so much in the way of our hero’s wishes.
Mrs Blyth was one of those unfortunates who, although not very old, have been, by ill-health, reduced to the appearance of extreme old age. Nevertheless, she had been blessed with that Christian27 spirit of calm, gentle resignation, which is frequently seen in aged8 invalids28, enabling them to bear up cheerfully under heavy griefs and sufferings. She was very little, very thin, very lame30, very old-looking (ninety at least, in appearance), very tremulous, very subdued31, and very sweet. Even that termagant gossip, Mrs Hard-soul, who dwelt alone in a tumble-down hut near the quay32, was heard upon one occasion to speak of her as “dear old Mrs Blyth.”
Beside Mrs Blyth, on a stool, engaged in peeling potatoes, sat a young woman who was in all respects her opposite. Bessy Blunt was tall, broad, muscular, plain-looking, masculine, and remarkably33 unsubdued. She was a sort of maid-of-all-work and companion to the old woman. Mrs Blyth lived in the hope of subduing34 her attendant—who was also her niece—by means of kindness.
“Who would it be but William Bowls? sure he comes twice every day, sometimes oftener,” replied Bessy; “but what’s the use? nothing comes of it.”
“Something may come of it, Bessy,” said Mrs Blyth, “if William settles down steadily36 to work, but I am anxious about him, for he seems to me hasty in temper. Surely, Bessy, you would not like to see our Nell married to an angry man?”
“I don’t know about that,” replied the girl testily37, as she cut a potato in two halves with unnecessary violence; “all I know is that I would like to see her married to Bill Bowls. He’s an able, handsome man. Indeed, I would gladly marry him myself if he asked me!”
Mrs Blyth smiled a little at this. Bessy frowned at a potato and said “Humph!” sternly.
Now it happened just at that moment that the press-gang before referred to arrived in front of the cottage. Bessy chanced to look through the window, and saw them pass. Instantly she ran to the back door and screamed “Press-gang,” as a warning to Bill to get out of the way and hide himself as quickly as possible, then, hastening back, she seized one of old Mrs Blyth’s crutches39, ran to the front door, and slammed it to, just as the leader of the gang came forward.
Meanwhile William Bowls, knowing that if he did not make his escape, his hopes of being married speedily would be blasted, turned to leap over the garden wall, but the leader of the press-gang had taken care to guard against such a contingency40 by sending a detachment round to the rear.
“Come, hide in the kitchen; quick! I will show you where,” cried Nelly, seizing his hand and leading him into the house, the back door of which she locked and barred.
“There, get in,” cried the girl, opening a low door in the wall, which revealed the coal-hole of the establishment.
Bill’s brow flushed. He drew back with a proud stern look and hesitated.
A thundering rap on the front door resounded43 through the cottage; the sailor put his pride in his pocket, stooped low and darted44 in. Nelly shut the door, and leaned a baking-board against it.
“Let us in!” said a deep voice outside.
“Never!” replied Bessy, stamping her foot.
“You had better, dear,” replied the voice, in a conciliatory tone; “we won’t do you any harm.”
“Go along with you—brutes!” said the girl.
“We’ll have to force the door if you don’t open it, my dear.”
“You’d better not!” cried Bessy through the keyhole.
At the same time she applied45 her eye to that orifice, and instantly started back, for she saw the leader of the gang retire a few paces preparatory to making a rush. There was short time for action, nevertheless Bessy was quick enough to fling down a large stool in front of the door and place herself in an attitude of defence. Next moment the door flew open with a crash, and a sailor sprang in, cutlass in hand. As a matter of course he tripped over the stool, and fell prostrate46 at Bessy’s feet, and the man who followed received such a well-delivered blow from the crutch38 that he fell on the top of his comrade. While the heroine was in the act of receiving the third she felt both her ankles seized by the man who had fallen first. A piercing yell followed. In attempting to free herself she staggered back and fell, the crutch was wrenched47 from her grasp, and the whole gang poured over her into the kitchen, where they were met by their comrades, who had just burst in the back door.
“Search close,” cried one of these; “there’s a big fellow in the house; we saw him run into it.”
“You may save yourselves the trouble; there’s no man in this house,” cried Bessy, who had risen and followed her conquerors48, and who now stood, with dishevelled locks, flushed countenance49, and gleaming eyes, vowing50 summary vengeance51 on the first man she caught off his guard!
As the men believed her, they took care to keep well on their guard while engaged in the search. Poor old Mrs Blyth looked absolutely horror-stricken at this invasion of her cottage, and Nelly stood beside her, pale as marble and trembling with anxiety.
Every hole and corner of the house was searched without success; the floors were examined for trap-doors, and even the ceilings were carefully looked over, but there was no sign of any secret door, and the careless manner in which the bake-board had been leaned against the wall, as well as its small size, prevented suspicion being awakened53 in that direction. This being the case, the leader of the gang called two of his men aside and engaged in a whispered conversation.
“It’s quite certain that he is here,” said one, “but where they have stowed him is the puzzle.”
“Well, it is indeed a puzzle,” replied the leader, “but I’ve thought of a plan. He may be the father, or brother, or cousin of the household, d’ye see, and it strikes me if we were to pretend to insult the women, that would draw him out!”
“But I don’t half like that notion,” said one of the men.
“Why not?” asked the other, who wore a huge pair of whiskers, “it’s only pretence54, you know. Come, I’ll try it.”
Saying this he went towards old Mrs Blyth and whispered to Nelly—“Don’t be frightened, my ducky, we’re only a-goin’ to try a dodge55, d’ye see. Stand by, we won’t do you no harm.”
The man winked56 solemnly several times with the view of reassuring57 Nelly, and then raising his voice to a loud pitch exclaimed—
“Come now, old ’ooman, it’s quite plain that there’s a feller in this here house, an’ as we can’t find him nowheres, we’ve come to the conclusion he must be under your big chair. In coorse we must ask you to git up, an’ as ye don’t seem to be able to do that very well, we’ll have to lift you. So here goes.”
The man seized the old woman’s chair and shuffled58 with his feet as though he were about to lift it. Nelly screamed. Bessy uttered a howl of indignation, and rushed upon the foe59 with teeth and nails ready, but being arrested by a powerful man in the rear, she vented52 her wrath60 in a hideous61 yell.
The success of the scheme was great—much greater, indeed, than had been anticipated. The bake-board fell flat down, the door of the coal-hole burst open, and our hero, springing out, planted a blow on the nose of the big-whiskered man that laid him flat on the floor. Another blow overturned the man who restrained Bessy, and a third was about to be delivered when a general rush was made, and Bill Bowls, being overpowered by numbers, was finally secured.
“Now, my fine fellow,” said the leader of the gang, “you may as well go with us quietly, for ye see resistance is useless, an’ it only frightens the old woman.”
This latter part of the remark had more effect on the unfortunate Bill than the former. He at once resigned himself into the hands of his captors. As he was about to be led away, he turned towards Mrs Blyth, intending to speak, but the poor old woman had fainted, and Nelly’s fears for her lover were lost for the moment in her anxiety about her mother. It was not until the party had left the room that the poor girl became fully29 aware of what was going on.
Uttering a loud cry she rushed towards the outer door. Bill heard the cry, and, exerting himself to the utmost, almost succeeded in overturning the five men who held him.
“Make your mind easy,” said one of them; “no harm will come to the women. We ain’t housebreakers or thieves. All fair an’ above board we are—true-blue British tars62, as would rather swing at the yard-arm than hurt the feelin’s of a woman, pretty or ugly, young or old. It’s all in the way of dooty, d’ye see? The King’s orders, young man so belay heavin’ about like that, else we’ll heave ye on your beam-ends, lash63 you hand and futt to a handspike, and carry you aboord like a dead pig.”
“Hold on!” cried the man with the big whiskers, who, after having been knocked down, had become emphatically the man with the big nose, “I’ll go back an’ comfort them a bit: don’t you take on so. I know all about it—see through it like a double patent hextromogriphal spy-glass. Only goin’ on a short cruise, d’ye see? Come back soon with lots o’ prize-money; get spliced64 right off, buy a noo gown with big flowers all over it for the old mother, pension off the stout gal19 wi’ the crutch—all straight; that’s the thing ain’t it?”
“No fear, young man,” replied the sailor, seeing that Bill hesitated; “Ben Bolter ain’t the man to do anything that would bring discredit66 on His Majesty’s service, and I bear you no grudge67 for this,” he added, pointing to his swelled68 nose; “it was given in a good cause, and received in the reg’lar way o’ business.”
Saying this Ben Bolter ran back to the cottage, where he tried to comfort the women to the best of his power. How he accomplished69 his mission does not remain on record, but it is certain that he rejoined his party, in little more than five minutes, with sundry70 new marks of violence on his huge honest face, and he was afterwards heard to remark that some creatures of the tiger species must have been born women by mistake, and that stout young females who had a tendency to use crutches, had better be pensioned off—or, “drownded if possible.”
Thus was William Bowls impressed into the Royal Navy. On hearing that his old shipmate had been caught, Tom Riggles at once volunteered into the service, and they were both sent on board a man-of-war, and carried off to fight the battles of their country.
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1
enrolling
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| v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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4
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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7
diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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11
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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12
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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13
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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14
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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15
exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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16
scud
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| n.疾行；v.疾行 | |
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17
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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18
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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20
iceberg
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| n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人 | |
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21
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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22
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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24
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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25
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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28
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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29
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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31
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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33
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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34
subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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36
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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37
testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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38
crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
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40
contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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41
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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42
implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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44
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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45
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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46
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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47
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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48
conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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49
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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50
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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51
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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52
vented
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| 表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）( vent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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54
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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55
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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56
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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57
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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58
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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59
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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60
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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61
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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62
tars
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| 焦油，沥青，柏油( tar的名词复数 ) | |
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63
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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64
spliced
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| adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等） | |
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65
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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67
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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68
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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69
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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70
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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