Varney the Vampire 1(143)

 

"I really," said Henry, "must protest, Admiral Bell, against this conduct."

 

"Protest and be d----d."

 

"Mr. Marchdale may be right, sir, or he may be wrong, it's a matter of opinion."

 

"Oh, never mind," said Marchdale; "I look upon this old nautical ruffian as something between a fool and a madman. If he were a younger man I should chastise him upon the spot; but as it is I live in hopes yet of getting him into some comfortable lunatic asylum."

 

"Me into an asylum!" shouted the admiral. "Jack, did you hear that?"

 

"Ay, ay, sir."

 

"Farewell all of you," said Marchdale; "my best wishes be with this family. I cannot remain under this roof to be so insulted."

 

"A good riddance," cried the admiral. "I'd rather sail round the world with a shipload of vampyres than with such a humbugging son of a gun as you are. D----e, you're worse than a lawyer."

 

"Nay, nay," cried they, "Mr. Marchdale, stay."

 

"Stay, stay," cried George, and Mrs. Bannerworth, likewise, said stay; but at the moment Flora stepped forward, and in a clear voice she said,--

 

"No, let him go, he doubts Charles Holland; let all go who doubt Charles Holland. Mr. Marchdale, Heaven forgive you this injustice you are doing. We may never meet again. Farewell, sir!"

 

These words were spoken in so decided a tone, that no one contradicted them. Marchdale cast a strange kind of look round upon the family circle, and in another instant he was gone.

 

"Huzza!" shouted Jack Pringle; "that's one good job."

 

Henry looked rather resentful, which the admiral could not but observe, and so, less with the devil-may-care manner in which he usually spoke, the old man addressed him.

 

"Hark ye, Mr. Henry Bannerworth, you ain't best pleased with me, and in that case I don't know that I shall stay to trouble you any longer, as for your friend who has left you, sooner or later you'll find him out--I tell you there's no good in that fellow. Do you think I've been cruizing about for a matter of sixty years, and don't know an honest man when I see him. But never mind, I'm going on a voyage of discovery for my nephew, and you can do as you like."

 

"Heaven only knows, Admiral Bell," said Henry, "who is right and who is wrong. I do much regret that you have quarrelled with Mr. Marchdale; but what is done can't be undone."

 

"Do not leave us," said Flora; "let me beg of you, Admiral Bell, not to leave us; for my sake remain here, for to you I can speak freely and with confidence, of Charles, when probably I can do so to no one else. You knew him well and have a confidence in him, which no one else can aspire to. I pray you, therefore, to stay with us."

 

"Only on one condition," said the admiral.

 

"Name it--name it!

 

"You think of letting the Hall?"

 

"Yes, yes."

 

"Let me have it, then, and let me pay a few years in advance. If you don't, I'm d----d if I stay another night in the place. You must give me immediate possession, too, and stay here as my guests until you suit yourselves elsewhere. Those are my terms and conditions. Say yes, and all's right; say no, and I'm off like a round shot from a carronade. D----me, that's the thing, Jack, isn't it?"

 

"Ay, ay, sir."

 

There was a silence of some few moments after this extraordinary offer had been made, and then they spoke, saying,--

 

"Admiral Bell, your generous offer, and the feelings which dictated it, are by far too transparent for us to affect not to understand them. Your actions, Admiral--"

 

"Oh, bother my actions! what are they to you? Come, now, I consider myself master of the house, d--n you! I invite you all to dinner, or supper, or to whatever meal comes next. Mrs. Bannerworth, will you oblige me, as I'm an old fool in family affairs, by buying what's wanted for me and my guests? There's the money, ma'am. Come along, Jack, we'll take a look over our new house. What do you think of it?"

 

"Wants some sheathing, sir, here and there."

 

"Very like; but, however, it will do well enough for us; we're in port, you know. Come along."

 

"Ay, ay, sir."

 

And off went the admiral and Jack, after leaving a twenty pound note in Mrs. Bannerworth's lap.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXXVII.

 

 

SIR FRANCIS VARNEY'S SEPARATE OPPONENTS.--THE INTERPOSITION OF FLORA.

 

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The old admiral so completely overcame the family of the Bannerworths by his generosity and evident single-mindedness of his behaviour, that although not one, except Flora, approved of his conduct towards Mr. Marchdale, yet they could not help liking him; and had they been placed in a position to choose which of the two they would have had remain with them, the admiral or Marchdale, there can be no question they would have made choice of the former.