WILL duly wrote to Katherine from every port we touched at: one on April 23rd, when we arrived at Lisbon—one on April 30th, when we joined the Earl of St. Vincent’s fleet off Cadiz—one on May 7th, from Gibraltar, the day before we sailed with a small squadron of observation up the Mediterranean—one on May 25th, when we put into S. Pierre’s in Sardinia to repair damages after we had been disabled and partly dismasted in the great storm off Toulon—and one on June 17th, when we were in the Bay of Naples after Captain Troubridge’s squadron had joined us. The only one I saw of them was the last, he not knowing whether it was Trowbridge or Troubridge—a point I daresay Katherine would have waived for a message that came a little straighter from his heart.
“From His Majesty’s ship Vanguard.
“Off Naples, June 17th, 1798.“Dear Kitty,—I am no letter writer, besides all the news there is of our being in pursuit of the French fleet and the Admiral being joined by Ten of the Line under Captain Thomas Trowbridge, making Thirteen in all, besides the Leander, 50 guns, I doubt not you will see in the Gazette. For the rest, I have not been on shore once, and the Admiral treats me with so much goodness as his own—that is Lady Nelson’s, son—Lieut. Nisbet. You may know how often I think of you, because sailors have watches every day of four hours at a time when they may do nothing. I read your letter which I had by the Squadron before I go on watch.
“Yours affectly,
“WILL HARDRES.“To the Lady Katherine Fleet,
“At the House of my Lord Eastry,
“Near Dover.”
But it was not till we were joined by Captain Troubridge’s Squadron off Toulon, on June 7th, that Katherine’s first letter reached him, having missed us at Gibraltar. We were by this time fast friends, though I was rather what a schoolboy would call his fag, and he had such pride in his letter that he showed it to me. It was not dated.
“Eastry Place,
“Near Dover.“To my dearest Will,—As I am to marry you, I may have the writing, and am wishing to say not to lose your heart to the black-browed dames I have read of in the Beauty’s Garland. The Marquess has shown me much goodness; although he often comes to walk or ride with me he brings his aide-de-camp (he is Lord Lieutenant, you know) or, when he has one at Pegwell with him, his sister. They are very proud. The Ladies St. Radigunde all made great matches, but I never was frightened, as I let his sister the Dutchess know, and then wished I had not, for she paid me compliments that vexed me—‘splendid creature,’ and such, and vowed that I was the very woman to be his Marchioness, and that I should be his Marchioness, to which I replied setting her in her place, which alas! only increased her devotion.
“Will, dear, I miss you always, but the many times I thought of marrying you before we were promised on that night, I never doubted but that you would be much away on the seas. The wives of our family love their husbands dearly, and are content with a little. Indeed, Will, though I think I should not write it, they are most of their lives but mothers, and many is the Fleet who never saw his father. But I have no fear that I shall not see you for the marrying of me, and with you to be on the sea, as Admiral Nelson told your mother, save perhaps for two days in the year, it is only I who have to promise not to wander.
“Your loving
“KATHERINE.“P.S.—My father says not to go on a frigate; there is treasure in plenty here, and though frigates are good for prize-money, an Admiral’s ship is the path to promotion.
“To Mr. Will Hardres,
“On His Majesty’s ship Vanguard, etc., etc.,
“Mediterranean.”
At Naples, when we lay off on June 17th, and again at Syracuse, we missed our letters; and it was not till after the Nile that we had them, when Will had at one time three from Katherine, writ by different ships.
Chapter IV.—Of our Entry into Syracuse.
THE Admiral bettered his promise to Mrs. Hardres. He was not only a father to Will, but attached him to his person as a sort of supernumerary member of his staff. And Will wanted a good friend, for there is no denying that he was none too popular with those who should have been his mates. With the Admiral and the high officers he was a great favourite. His manner to them was a marvel—so dignified, as well as respectful. Give Will a chance of shining, and he always shone, and I loved him from the day he came on board. Will Hardres always seemed to me to be the grandest man I ever knew. I am sure I expected him to be a greater man than the Admiral himself some day. His mother brought him up in certain principles. He was too proud to be tempted from them, too courageous to be daunted from them. I do not think he was much above the average in strength or activity but I never saw such courage in any man except the Admiral. With the other mids, some of them little boys, he was not likely to have much in sympathy. He was a good deal older than most midshipmen, and big for his age, and, so far as habits were concerned, the difference was still greater.
The junior lieutenants, on the other hand, disliked his haughtiness and self-assurance, though they all of them saw that he had corresponding courage. By all rights they should have patronised him, but he could much more properly patronise them. The climax, of course, was the Admiral’s very marked favour. But this signified less by the fact that he dined at the Admiral’s table, and was in almost constant attendance on his person.
I shall let you know how Will first made his mark. One summer morning, July 19th, 1798, as I remember it, we found ourselves off Syracuse. It was not the first time, either, during our long chase after the French, so we all knew the place well by sight.