Oh, how good
it was of you! And the whole fault was mine--or at least Captain
Stubbard's. He will never dare to face me again, I should hope."
"Young ladies, if I have been of any service to you," said the stranger,
with a smile at their excitement, "I beg you to be silent to the Captain
Stubbard concerning my share in this occasion. He would not be gratified
by the interest I feel in his beautiful little bombardments, especially
that of fair ladies. Ha, there goes another shell! They will make better
aim now; but you must not delay. I beseech you to hasten home, if you
would do me kindness."
The fair daughters of the Admiral had enjoyed enough of warfare to last
them till the end of their honeymoon, and they could not reject the
entreaty of a man who had risked his life to save them. Trembling and
bewildered, they made off at the quickest step permitted by maiden
dignity, with one or two kindly turns of neck, to show that he was
meant to follow them. But another sulphurous cloud rushed down from the
indefatigable Stubbard, and when it had passed them, they looked back
vainly for the gentleman who had spoiled his boots.
CHAPTER XX
AMONG THE LADIES
It would have surprised the stout Captain Stubbard, who thought no small
beer of his gunnery, to hear that it was held in very light esteem by
the "Frenchified young man overhead," as he called Caryl Carne, to his
landlady. And it would have amazed him to learn that this young man was
a captain of artillery, in the grand army mustering across the sea, and
one of the most able among plenty of ability, and favoured by the great
First Consul.
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