"Upon my life, now, but you can't have much comfort aboard here," spoke the frisky little man, in a voice of singular effeminacy, as he tipped the narrow brimmed glazed hat that had covered his narrower head. "As for ourselves," he continued, fingering the great blood stone studs in his brown cambric shirt bosom, "we are navigating merely for the love of the thing. Want to get the thing right, and don't care a straw for the expense, not we!" This he concluded by saying, in a manner so finical that one might have mistaken him for a Bond Street milliner in the garb of a sailor, that his name was Nat Bradshaw, a recently elected member of the Union Club. The little, finicking man addressed no one in particular, but seemed much concerned lest we should not fully comprehend his respectability, though in truth he might have passed easily enough for a fool. The man of the tall figure, and whose frank and manly manner was enough to banish the sorrow excited by the effeminacy of the other, pressed forward with his hand extended, and inquired for the captain.
"It's me, Luke Snider, who's skipper," spoke the honest-hearted old salt, as the other grasped him by the hand, and gave him such a warm greeting as made him think he had met an old friend. And while these civilities were being interchanged, one of the damsels, a blonde so beautiful that earth had not, as I thought, another to compare with her, tripped gayly about the deck, singing as unconcernedly as a lark at sunrise:
"But give me the sea,
And from the old folks free,
And we'll wait for the tide to-night!
For the tide to-night-for the tide to-night."
"He whose thoughts are not given to evil needs no censuring eyes," thought I, as she turned, and tripping lightly towards me, flung her left arm round the waist of her companion who was a girl of slender form and features, and had a countenance in which pensiveness was deeply written; then, with her right hand resting gently upon her shoulder, she looked roguishly up in her face, for her eyes were of crystal blue, and beamed with mischief, and said, in a voice of much solicitude, "Rose, dear Rose! let me snatch away your troubles, for Nat Bradshaw, you know, always was a fool. It's a habit he's got of kissing everybody who will let him. And what's worse, you can't get it out of his head, little as it is, but that he is a great beauty-that everybody admires his white hand, and the big diamond I know he has'nt paid Tiffany for yet. And because we girls, just to tease him, and have a bit of fun, invite him to polk with us, he's got to fancying it's all in admiration of his graceful bearing. Oh! he is such a fool; and I don't believe he's got any money! I don't! Just snap your fingers at Master Nat, and tell him not to try it again! that's the way I do with such jokers." She spoke with so much simplicity, and in so sweet a voice, that the girl of the slender figure seemed at once to regain her spirits, while the major, who had given particular attention to this little episode, now stood in admiration at the beauty of the speaker's face. Then he approached me, and placing his lips close to my ear, whispered, "Pray say to them who I am, and leave me to take care of the rest." These words being overheard by the gay hearted belle, she turned on her heel coquettishly, and vaulting to where he of the tall figure stood, making certain inquiries of the captain concerning his voyage, locked her hands in his arm, and there leaned gracefully for a few moments.
Flora, for such was this damsel's name, had her home in Madison Square, New York; and there was about her something so artless and yet so tantalizing, that her power over the affections was irresistible. In fine, she was one of those dashing, merry hearted creatures, who make chaos of the affections to-day, and have a balm to heal them to-morrow.
CHAPTER XXIV.
WHICH TREATS OF HOW THE MERRY VOYAGERS MADE MUCH OF MAJOR ROGER POTTER, AND HOW THEY INVITED HIM TO AN INTERVIEW WITH THE COMMODORE OF THE FLEET.
THE captain and he of the tall figure had sufficiently exchanged compliments, when good Dame Snider came on deck, and invited the strangers into the cabin to partake of the refreshments she had there prepared. But Flora, who was much diverted by the good woman's earnestness, spoke up and declared the hospitalities of the occasion must be left to her, for she had charge of the larder; and so well stocked was it, that they could feed six aldermen for a week without fear of stint. Nat Bradshaw, too, raised the cigar exquisitely from his lips, and in his finicking manner said, the "Saucy Kate" was famous for the quality of her stores, nor ever permitted a stranger to do the hospitalities. In truth, it must be confessed that Nat had what is called a streak of generosity mixed with all his weaknesses.
"No, mother, (you won't think me bold for calling you mother?) leave the refreshments to me, and I am satisfied," interposed Flora, taking the honest hearted woman cordially by the hand. Then she doffed the little hat, that rolled up so pertly at the sides, and had given her such a saucy air; and as she did so, there fell upon her shoulders such a profusion of golden curls as would have crazed the heart of a Frenchman. The exquisiteness of her beauty was now fully disclosed. Her complexion resembled alabaster, and in addition to a face so oval that a sculptor could not have improved it, her great blue eyes, which, as I have said before, sparkled like pure crystals, were set off with finely curved arches, giving perfection to a brow poets call Grecian, and over which two broad wavy plaits of golden hair floated, as it were. Her nose, too, was of that high born order we recognize in the delicate but prominent lines, and, together with her mouth and chin, were such that the most fastidious could not have detected an imperfection. And as the moonbeams played upon her features, lighting them up as it were, she seemed a creature more of heaven than earth.
"Flora! Flora! my dear cousin," spoke he of the tall figure, seeing her thus doff her hat, "you must not, for I am anxious lest you catch cold."