He stole out to watch the public property; and, by his orders, no doubt, Victoria, who had lingered in the garden, came in to entertain the guest. Yet Victoria said not a word. She had been unlike her old self all the time of their stay; she had become pensive, melancholy, retiring, joining in none of the diversions, only looking on, or languidly asking a question now and then. I felt what service she required of me, and made the talk—no very difficult matter, for the Captain and I had many acquaintance in common. He knew some of my own people, besides, and was able to tell me that a young pickle of a cousin, who had taken to the Navy, had lately joined the ‘Tanis’ for service on the China station.
‘The “Tanis” was here three years ago,’ said Victoria, very softly, but looking up at the Captain, I thought, in a rather wistful way.
‘I know she was; I boarded her at Portsmouth, when she went out of commission. They all talked of nothing but your little Island, and made me long to come here.’
‘You knew the midshipman of the “Tanis,” perhaps,’ said Victoria, still with her peculiar ‘inward’ air. ‘Where is he now?’
‘What midshipman?’ the Captain very naturally asked.
If Victoria knew the name, she did not care to give it. ‘He was a tall young gentleman,’ she said with more animation, yet with a pause to give the Captain time to collect his thoughts after each item of the inventory; ‘fair—a quick way of speaking—a pleasant laugh. If you ever heard him sing, you would be sure to remember him.’ The Captain shook his head.
‘He fought the battle with the slave-dhow, on the west coast of Africa.’
‘What battle, my dear girl?’
‘The battle,’ she repeated.
‘Do you mean he was in a boat that ran down one of those rascally traders? We do that every day.’