Home > Authors Index > George Manville Fenn > In the King's Name: The Cruise of the "Kestrel" > This page
In the King's Name: The Cruise of the "Kestrel", a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
||
Chapter 22. A Surprise For Sir Henry |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. A SURPRISE FOR SIR HENRY It was very tempting. The country looked so bright and beautiful from his prison window; the voice of his old companion brought up such a host of pleasant recollections, and it would have been delightful to renew the old intimacy. Then, upon the other hand, what would he give up? A dull monotonous life under a tyrannical superior, with but little chance of promotion, to receive honour, advancement, and no doubt to enjoy no little adventure. It was very tempting, and enough to make one with a stronger mind than Hilary Leigh waver in his allegiance. As he stood there thinking the song went on, and Hilary felt that did he but say yes, and swear fealty to one who believed himself to be the rightful king of England, he would be at liberty to join Adela at once. There would be an end to his imprisonment, and no more wretched anxiety. He had done his duty so far, he argued, and he was doing his duty when fortune went against him, and he was made a prisoner, so to a certain extent his changing sides might be considered excusable. He had had little else but rough usage and discomfort since he went to sea, and the offers now made to him by Sir Henry were full of promise, which he knew the baronet was too true to hold out without perfect honesty. Taken altogether--that is in connection with his position, and the probability that he might be kept here a prisoner for any length of time, and that most likely he had already been reported by Mr Lipscombe as a deserter--there was such a bright prospect held out that Hilary felt for the time extremely weak and ready to give up. Meanwhile the song went on outside, for all these thoughts ran very quickly through the young man's brain. Then Adela's voice died away, and Hilary opened his eyes to see Sir Henry standing there, with a smile upon his handsome face, and his hand extended. "Well, Captain Leigh," he said, laughing, "I am to clasp hands with my young brother in the good cause?" "You will shake hands with me, Sir Henry," said Hilary, "for we are very old friends, and I shall never forget my happy days at the old hall," and he laid his hand in that of the baronet. "Forget them! No, my dear boy," cried Sir Henry enthusiastically. "But there will be brighter days yet. Come along and join Adela; she will be delighted to have you with her again. Come along! Why do you hang back? Why, Hil, my boy, you have not grown bashful?" "You love the young Pre--I mean Charles Stuart," said Hilary quietly, as he still held his old friend's hand. "Love, my boy? Yes, Heaven bless him! And so will you when you meet him. He will take to you with your frank young sailor face, Hilary." "No, Sir Henry," Hilary replied sadly. "I have heard that he is generally frank, and an honourable gentleman." "All that, Hilary," cried Sir Henry enthusiastically. "He is royal in his ways, and I am sure he will like you." "If he is what you say, Sir Henry," replied the young man, "he would look with coldness and contempt upon a scoundrel and a traitor." "To be sure he would," said Sir Henry, who in his elation and belief that he had won Hilary over to the Pretender's cause was thrown off his guard. "Then why do you talk of his liking me, if, after signing my adhesion to him whom I look upon as my rightful king, I deserted him at the first touch of difficulty? No, Sir Henry, I could not accept your offer without looking upon myself afterwards as a traitor and a villain, and I am sure that you would be one of the first men to think of me with contempt." Sir Henry dropped the hand he held in astonishment, completely taken aback, and a heavy frown came upon his brow. "Are you mad, Hilary?" he exclaimed. "Do you know what you are refusing?" "Yes, Sir Henry, I know what I am refusing; but I hope I am not mad." "Honour, advancement, liberty, in place of what you are enduring now." "Yes, Sir Henry, I can see it all." "Adela's friendship--my friendship. Oh, my dear boy, you have not considered all this." "Yes, Sir Henry, I have considered it all," said Hilary firmly; "and though you are angry now, I am sure that the time will come when you will respect me for being faithful to my king, just as you would have learned to despise me if I had broken my word." Sir Henry did not reply, but turned short upon his heel and walked to the door, rapped loudly till the key was turned, and then without glancing at Hilary again he left the place. _ |
||