“You know when I was a girl I lived in the family of Mr Herbert Castleton, their father, near Morbury, so I remember the young gentlemen as they were then, and feel an interest in them, and so I should in their children.”
“Ah! that just reminds me that you or your husband may do Master Harry a pleasure. He has not been on shore many days before he is wanting to be off again on the salt water, and who should he fall in with but Miles Gaffin, who came up here to see me about the rent of the mill. Master Harry found out somehow or other that Miles had a lugger, and nothing would content him but that he must go off and take a cruise in her. Now, between ourselves, Mrs Halliburt, I do not trust that craft or her owner. You know, perhaps, as much about them as I do; your husband knows more, but I think it would content the young gentleman if Halliburt would take him off in his yawl, and he need not go so far from the shore as to run any risk of being picked up by an enemy’s ship.”
“Bless you, Mr Groocock, of course Adam will be main proud to take out Sir Reginald’s nephew, and for his own sake will be careful not to go far enough off the land to run the risk of being caught by any of the French cruisers,” answered the dame. “When would the young gentleman like to come? He must not expect man-of-war’s ways on board the Nancy, and it would not do for Adam and the lads to lose their day’s fishing.”
“As to that, he is not likely to be particular, and the sooner he can get his cruise the better he will be pleased. It seems strange to me that any one, when once he is comfortable on shore, should wish to be tumbling about on the tossing sea. Though I have lived all my life in sight of the ocean, I never had a fancy to leave the dry land. Give me a good roof over my head, plenty to eat and drink, and a steady cob to ride, it’s all I ask; a man should be moderate in his desires, dame, and he will get them satisfied, that is my notion of philosophy.”
“Ah! and a very good notion too,” said Mistress Halliburt, who had great respect for the loquacious steward of Texford. “But you will excuse me, Mr Groocock, I ought to be up at the Hall. I will tell Adam of Master Harry’s wish, and he will be on the look-out for him.”
“Here comes the young gentleman to speak for himself,” said the steward.
At that moment a horse’s hoofs were heard clattering along the road, and a fine-looking lad in a midshipman’s uniform cantered up on a pony, holding his reins slack, and sitting with the careless air of a sailor. He had a noble broad brow, clear blue eyes, and thick, clustering, brown curls, his countenance being thoroughly bronzed by southern suns and sea air. His features were well formed and refined, without any approach to effeminacy.
“Good-morrow, Mr Groocock,” he exclaimed, in a clear voice, pulling up as he spoke. “Good-morrow, dame,” he added, turning to Mrs Halliburt.
“I was just speaking to the dame here about your wish, Mr Harry, to take a trip to sea. Her husband, Adam Halliburt, has as fine a boat as any on the coast, and he is a trustworthy man, which is more than can be said, between ourselves, of the tenant of Hurlston Mill. Adam will give you a cruise whenever you like to go, wind and weather permitting, though, as the dame observed, you must not expect much comfort on board the Nancy.”
“I care little for comfort—we have not too much of that sort of thing at sea to make me miss it,” answered Harry, laughing. “If the dame can answer for her husband, I will engage to go as soon as he likes.”