_ CHAPTER FIFTY SIX. SIR RANALD CASTLETON
Harry, as he galloped off from Texford with the dragoons, had left the party in the house in a state of considerable anxiety.
Several of the other gentlemen had hurried out on foot towards the park-gates, near which they found General Sampson dismounted, and bending over the steward.
"He is alive, I am thankful to say," said the general; "and as I shall have no chance of overtaking Castleton and the dragoons, I shall be of more service in looking after this worthy man."
Mr Groocock was accordingly carried to the Hall by the general, the two noblemen, and Sir John, a footman who had followed them leading the former's horse.
"Oh, is it Harry?" cried Julia.
No sooner had she uttered the words than Lady Castleton started forward, and would have fallen fainting to the ground had not her husband and Mr Hastings supported her.
Julia's alarm for her brother's safety was soon set at rest by the arrival of the party, but it was long before Lady Castleton recovered.
A groom was in the meantime sent off for the surgeon. The general having examined the steward's wounds, pronounced them not likely to prove serious.
The attack of the smugglers, and the pursuit, had aroused Sir Ralph Castleton's keenest interest, but the presence of Mr Hastings still more disquieted him. There was something in his presence which made a more intimate conversation imperative, and now the baronet, who was unusually pale and agitated, had invited his guest to meet him in his study.
What transpired during the conversation was not known.
The surgeon arrived sooner than expected, the groom having fortunately met him on the road. He corroborated the general's favourable opinion of Mr Groocock's wounds.
"The old man seems highly flattered at the way he was brought back to the house by the general and his friends, and I believe it will contribute greatly to his recovery," he observed, smiling.
Lady Castleton appeared, however, much to require the surgeon's attention. She had remarked the agitation Mr Hastings' appearance had caused her husband, and dreaded the effect it might produce on him. She frequently inquired whether he had yet come out of the study, and Julia could with difficulty prevent her from attempting to get up, and join him there.
The general, who had been bustling about the house, giving directions to the servants, and trying to entertain the other guests, at length entered the drawing-room to which Lady Castleton had been conveyed. There she lay, still unable to move, on a sofa.
"Oh, General Sampson, who is that terrible man?" she exclaimed, catching a glimpse of the general, who, not aware that she was there, was about to retire.
"They tell me that he is a ruffian called Gaffin, but my friend Harry and the dragoons will soon give a good account of him, I suspect," answered the general, not understanding her question.
"The person who is now with Sir Ralph," cried Lady Castleton; "he called himself Mr Hastings."
"I beg your ladyship ten thousand pardons," answered the general. "I had no idea of whom you were speaking. There is nothing terrible about him; he is a most gentlemanly refined person, has evidently mixed in good society all his life. He tells me that I knew him in our younger days, and he is certainly an old acquaintance of Sir Ralph's."
Julia was perfectly ready to believe the general's account, and assisted him at length in sufficiently calming her mother's fears to induce her to retire to her chamber.
At last the hungry guests, whose dinner had been so long postponed, assembled in the dining-room, where they were joined by the master of the house and Mr Hastings. Sir Ralph still looked nervous, and instead of exhibiting his usual self-possession, his manner was subdued, and his mind evidently distracted, as he appeared frequently not to have heard the remarks made to him. He treated Mr Hastings with the most marked attention, while he seemed almost at times to forget the presence of the marquis and his other titled guests. Julia excused herself from coming downstairs on the plea of having to attend to her mother.
The general tried to make amends for Sir Ralph's want of attention to his guests, and talked away for the whole party.
"I hope, Mr Hastings," said the general, drawing him aside after dinner, "you have convinced my friend Sir Ralph that your gallant son is a fit match for his fair daughter, Miss Julia. I should like to be able to give the young lady a hint to calm her anxiety on the subject."
"I think, my dear general, that her father will no longer object to the match; but I have agreed to retain my incognito till the arrival of my son, whose ship was announced as having reached Spithead yesterday evening, and as I obtained leave for him at the Admiralty, he will come on here at once."
The general, who was as much at home at Texford as at his own house, found means to communicate with Julia, and to give her the satisfactory intelligence.
He was too good a soldier to neglect placing sentinels on the watch during the night, which, however, passed without any appearance of the enemy in the neighbourhood of the Hall.
Next morning the marquis and Lord Frederick, who had not been unobservant of what was taking place, though somewhat puzzled, were prepared for the hint which the general conveyed to them, that the heart and hand of Miss Julia Castleton were engaged. Regretting that their stay should have been so short, they paid their respects to the master and mistress of the house, and took their departure, much to Sir Ralph's satisfaction.
Julia, who had become somewhat alarmed at not hearing of Harry, was much relieved during the course of the morning by receiving a message from him, saying that he was at Downside, and hoped shortly to return to Texford. She hurried to Lady Castleton to inform her, and then went to Sir Ralph, who was alone in his study, engaged in writing. He was so absorbed that he scarcely noticed her entrance. She had to repeat what she had said.
"Foolish boy!" he exclaimed, without expressing any satisfaction. "If he knew the position in which I am placed, he would see that I have greater reason than ever for objecting to his making that match. If a proper pride, and a sense of what is due to his family no longer restrains him, let him understand that his father is a mere beggar, dependent on the will of another, though you have nothing to fear, as I may tell you that he acknowledges your lover as his son, and insists on my sanction to your marriage."
"My dear father," exclaimed Julia, "I had hoped, indeed, that all impediments to my happiness would be removed, but how can that affect you or Harry?"
"You shall know all in time," answered Sir Ralph, gloomily. "Till the arrival of Captain Headland, I am prohibited from saying more. Leave me now, only if you have any feelings of affection and duty you will use your influence with Harry. I do not wish to make an enemy of my only son, but tell him while I live I will never be a party to his committing the rash act he contemplates. Go, girl, go," and Sir Ralph waved his daughter from the room.
She returned to her mother, who had sufficiently recovered to come downstairs. The guests had gone into the grounds with the exception of Mr Hastings and General Sampson. The general came hurrying into the drawing-room from the hall, exclaiming--
"A post-chaise is driving up the avenue," and taking Mr Hastings by the arm, he added, "I do not know whether you or Miss Castleton should be the first to greet the occupant; I must leave you to decide."
"Let my future daughter have that happiness," answered Mr Hastings, by a violent effort calming his evident agitation.
He imprinted a kiss as he spoke on the young lady's brow.
"Go and bring my son to me when you have exchanged greetings. Do not detain him long."
Julia hastened to the ante-room, scarcely daring to hope that the general was not mistaken. From the window she saw the carriage approaching. She had not long to wait. Captain Headland sprang from it, followed by another person whom her eyes, from the mist which stole over them, failed to recognise. She heard his step in the hall. In another minute he was supporting her and listening to the account she had to give. She led him into the drawing-room, where Mr Hastings was seated alone.
"I require no one to tell me you are my son," he said, embracing them both.
They spoke for some time. Julia would have retired to leave the father and his son alone, but the former detained her.
"For your sakes alone should I desire to resume my name, and take the title which is lawfully mine," he continued. "I am your father's elder brother, my dear Julia, but I know that when you become my son Ranald's wife, you will endeavour to console him and your brother Harry for the loss of an empty title of which I may be compelled to deprive him. But I am happily able to leave him in possession of a fortune equal to that which he at present enjoys."
"Believing that you did not desire to hold the baronetcy, I would gladly have resigned my future right to it in favour of Harry," said Headland. "As, however, you gave me leave to consult any friend in whom I had confidence, I at once went to my old captain, Admiral Fancourt, who, of all people, as my uncle's brother-in-law, was the most capable of giving me advice. I placed the whole matter before him, and he assures me that should my uncle desire a baronetcy, Government will readily grant him one for his political services, so that he will consequently not be deprived of the rank he prizes. Having known me from my early days, and being convinced of the truth of the account I gave him, he accompanied me here that he might satisfy my uncle's mind, and assist in arranging matters."
As Headland, or rather Captain Castleton, ceased speaking, the door opened, and Admiral Fancourt entered the room. He at once recognised Sir Ranald Castleton, as Mr Hastings was henceforth to be called, and expressed his satisfaction at his return, assuring him that he would have no difficulty in establishing his claims.
Lady Castleton shortly afterwards joined the party, and having been introduced to her brother-in-law, warmly welcomed her nephew.
Headland received a still more enthusiastic welcome from the old general, who quickly made his appearance.
"And here comes Harry and another gentleman galloping along the avenue as if the fate of the kingdom depended on their speed," he exclaimed.
Julia and the captain went out to meet them, and in another minute returned accompanied by Harry and the lawyer. Harry could scarcely speak. Julia knew by the way he embraced her and his mother, that his heart was bounding with joy.
"She can no longer be looked upon as unworthy of marrying a Castleton, for she is a Castleton herself, though all my May desires is to bear my name," he exclaimed at length; "but Mr Shallard will explain the discovery we have made more clearly than I can. Our good cousins promise to bring her here as soon as a carriage can be obtained."
Sir Ranald, as may be supposed, listened to this announcement with the deepest interest, as he did to the account given by the lawyer.
Mr Shallard, after briefly describing the discovery of the chest which had been so long hid by Martin Goul in the old mill, then went on to state that, having examined the documents in it, he had no doubt whatever that the little girl who had been rescued from the wreck on board which the chest had been found, was the child of the long lost Ranald Castleton. This was corroborated by the locket with the initials of M.C. which she had on, and with the dress which had been carefully preserved by Dame Halliburt, while several of the articles in the chest had the Castleton arms and crest.
The eyes of those who knew Sir Ranald were turned towards him.
"Through the mercy of heaven my two children have been restored to me on the same day," he exclaimed. "I had embarked for England after her mother's death, with my little daughter and her native nurse. While we were still in ignorance that the war had broken out, we were captured by a French privateer. A heavy gale was blowing at the time, and I, with other passengers, had just been removed, when all further communication between the ships was prevented by the fury of the wind and sea. I was almost driven to despair when I found that the ships had separated during the night. It was the opinion of our captors that only a few men having been put on board, the crew had risen and retaken the vessel. They searched in vain for her. It was believed, with savage satisfaction by the French, that a wreck we fell in with two days afterwards, which went down before she could be boarded, was her. I had no reason to doubt that they were wrong in their suspicions, and mourned my child as lost to me for ever."
All listened with breathless interest to what Sir Ranald Castleton was saying. Harry's satisfaction can better be imagined than described.
"I am very sure that you are Sir Ranald Castleton; those who doubt it have only to examine your picture in the study. Though I recognise you, I doubt not so will the old steward, Mr Groocock, and many others who knew you in your youth," said Mr Shallard, as Sir Ranald warmly greeted him as an old friend.
Harry, after a satisfactory interview with his father, could no longer restrain his eagerness. He set off again for Downside. He had not to go far, however, before he met the carriage. Returning with it, he had the happiness of handing out his beloved Maiden May, and introducing her to her father and brother.
Two weddings shortly afterwards took place by special licence at Texford Hall, Sir Ranald and Sir Ralph giving their daughters away.
A fete was held in honour of the occasion in the park, to which the Miss Pembertons came, where Adam and Dame Halliburt, with their two sons, for Sam had just returned from sea, were among the most honoured guests.
"I knew our Maiden May was a real young lady, though little did I think she would one day be Lady Castleton," said Adam.
Sir Ranald, who the dame had at once recognised, insisted on settling an annuity on old Adam and his wife.
Honest Jack Headland, the only one now of the name, not unwilling to remain on shore, was appointed to a post at Morbury, suited to his taste, though the comfortable income settled on him by Sir Ranald Castleton, might have enabled him to enjoy a life of ease and idleness to the end of his days.
Though the young officers, while the war continued, again went afloat, they did not object to being employed on home service, and Harry, who had purchased Downside on the death of his cousins, spent a portion of every summer at the place which was so endeared to him and his beloved and still blooming May.
[THE END]
William H. G. Kingston's Novel: Won from the Waves
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