The Admiral's Daughter

honours with a flourish and imposed them on the public eye. Let a fishing vessel manned by Devon men (the natural and first-hand enemies of the Cornish) be driven before a sudden gale to take shelte

unes of the village had for generations been linked with those of

d as ill have spared sun and wind as the Admiral, were he cross or hearty. In fact, if a week went by without a sight of him 'down along,' they grew uneasy; and when his rosy face, with its overhanging brows and huge nose, looking like that of a benevolent eagle, peered in at their casements, and a deep voice-as of the sea heard through a fog-boomed out a greetin

his last shot fired in an engagement with the Dutch, twenty years earlier, and few Garth seamen had cared to enlist in another's service. Fishing was now the villagers' daily employment, fighting roving Frenc

ancellor, he cast an imperial eye. He was a county magistrate, and since the Restoration that had been no easy office. There were the lands and farmi

with her solemn white little face which could suddenly break into heartening laughter-a trick inherited from her father-running backwards and forwards from the length of his hand as they walked about the garden or watched the men busy in the fields; the child sitting at a high chair by her father's place at table, struggling with the food he pile

l. The refusal sufficed for all except one: Mistress Keziah Penrock, a maiden lady living at Exeter in a great rambling house that had been built by an eccentric maternal grandfather in the shadow of old Rougemont Castle. A correspondence lasting for some months ran between the pair, the lady holding up the prospect of 'civilisation' in

r, ventured to come up and argue the point with his patron over a g

ike stare, 'she bides here alone with me. The matter is settled. The housekeeper can teach her her needle. There's Mi

ut the Admiral, roused (though he would not have confesse

French and Latin. On these volumes, which the small pupil turned over in unfeigned dislike, the parson nodded approv

up as unlearned as a kitchen

id my mother know all

his great voice breaking. 'Sh

the English reading, sir,' he said. 'T

ges and Plutarch's Lives. 'And there is the Bible and Master Shakespeare's works in he

ease, and failed not to hector the parson on the subject of accent; but he soon found that in grammar he must needs be a pupil instead of tutor, as he had originally stated to Mr. Stowe. The Admiral and Marion, sitt

ll not be silent, how can

the terrace. Certainly, whatever the result might be for Marion, schooling was good for her father, seeing

isposed to be critical. Secretly proud as he was of the little maid's skill, he became nevertheless uneasy about the hours she must needs bend over her silks. To the housekeeper's argument that all young ladies spent their time thus he paid no heed save to 'Pish!' and 'Pshaw.' And one day when Mistress Trevannion, thinki

grandsons. And the child has already wrought me three night-caps in such a device I dare not sleep in them for fear of dreams. Let be. She may stitch,

with Zacchary the groom and Roger Trevannion, who from childhood days had been her constant playfellow; the long mornings she and Roger spent with their bows and arrows, shooting at targets set by the Admiral; her days in Jack Poole's boat on the river, the fishing expeditions in Bob Tregarthen's cutter; her afternoons spent i

ife had been a happy one. Roger's going was a sore blow, and would have saddened the

mmotion, the great travelling coach with its four horses out in the

e stable boys to some one wit

where Peter, his man, was dressing him in his best clothes

Marion, 'where

e would do very well now, and took the maid upon

oing to London. Yes, to London, to bring som

ed her again, the child, as was her way, taking

I told you about

. De Delauret had nursed the Admiral through a vile fever; the Englishman later on had saved his friend from death at the hand of a rascal, who was for having his purse and jewelled rapier. During the years of the Admiral's fighting life th

be a great heiress through her mother's house. She will be sought after, taken

he sick man's hand

f you do, s'death, man! I'll take your chil

rong enough to travel, the Admiral later on was invalided; so the two lost sight

letter has been in coming. Elise and her woman are in London. I must hasten and fetch her at once. And I must see my lawyer in London so

ch from the terrace and waving her handkerchief as the horses took the corn

er,' she said.

it had been before. Elise's gowns and cloaks, too, her boxes full of finery, woke in Marion an instinct that had been sleeping. Nothing would serve but the tailor must be ordered from Plymouth to make Marion some new gowns. Marion's halting French and Elise's lisped English j

ne to be pitied, as he dragged his wooden leg in solitude about the

er own land and coast, a new string of interests about which Marion's thoughts began to twine themselves. On the other hand, there were points in Elise's character that made the Admiral uneasy for his daughter's sake. The French girl seemed to be lacking in the sense of ho

and the gossip in the servants' hall when Victoire was absent, he

ed on the second (when he brought his school friend, Dick Hooper, with him), thereby making himself the object of much raillery from Marion. Dick Hooper, a fair-faced, fair-haired youth, was the son of the Squire of St. Brennion. Marion found the company of the two boys agreeably diverting after the quieter life she had be

would not be wise to separate the two girls for a time, sending one or the other on a round of visits among his kinsfolk. Then he saw how untouched M

er'll never be so lovely as my lady,' said the village. 'Wait,' said the mistress of the Manor. 'Hair gold to russet. Her mo

, now the heiress of a considerable estate in France (governed by Delauret's attorney) could not for ever stay hidden in a Cornish village. Hazy ideas of the future began to float about his mind,

breach between brother and sister. Thus, for the first time for twelve years, Mistress Keziah visited the home of her childhood. In Marion she scarcely recognised the little one she had seen before; but during her stay the shrewd eyes had glimpses of depths o

coming to Exeter awhile. But the lady, not realising in time that Marion was no longer a child-indeed being the age when most girls in that period were either married or embroidering their wedding clothes-had weighed a little too heavily on her authority. She had said, 'Do this, my child,' where it had been wiser to say 'Will

stance to come here. A beautiful girl like that sh

hast. 'Who's talking of marriag

it,' said the lady quietly. 'That

content. Then the heavy brows drew down at an unacc

ou say so, or the men fishing in the Channe

ago settled his mind to the fact that however ado

raight little nose. She has no colouring, it is true, and her hair is rather spoiled, bleached in parts, through exposur

ervals during his sister's recital. 'Why, eve

her, do not mention that young person to me just now. I have more to say about her a

lady swept of

The Admiral, watching the sparring of his sister and his ward, and noting how shrewdly the young girl delivered her blows, had been greatly entertained and amu

en as he rose and knocked out his pipe, he looked at t

id, the grim old face sorrowful, 'all this