The Admiral's Daughter

Would you with a wife an' children stand against an armed robber f'r a shillin' a day?'

'Then what's to be done?' Renzi said, putting down his book.

'We're havin' a council o' war tomorrow. The Collector has an information as will see us at a landin', an' then we shall have an accountin'.'

'I'm pleased to hear it, brother,' Renzi said mildly, and picked up his book again.

'Er, Nicholas, there is another matter, an' it'll greatly oblige me if ye'd give me y'r opinion.'

'You shall have it. Please acquaint me with the substance of the arguments.'

'It's—it's not y'r regular-goin' philosophy at all, y' should know.'

'Clap on sail and stand on, my friend.'

Kydd hesitated, marshalling his thoughts. 'What do ye conceive a woman's meaning is when she calls you 'an interestin' man,' Nicholas?'

'In that case I'd expect she'd mean that in some way you have piqued her curiosity, aroused her feminine sensibilities in matters of character, that sort of thing. Why? Has a wicked jade been making her advances?'

Ignoring his friend's tone, Kydd persisted: 'An' if she needs t' know if I ride?'

Renzi paused. 'Do you mean—'

'An' tells me to m' face that I'm different fr'm others—and what are m' true feelin's in a battle?' It seemed so unreal now, the conversation.

'This is Miss Lockwood, is it not?' Renzi said quietly.

'Aye, Nicholas. In th' print publisher's.'

'Then it is altogether a different matter, dear fellow.' He sighed.

Kydd bristled. 'How so?'

'Not to put too fine a point on it, you should understand at once that there can be no question of it proceeding beyond the civilities.'

'Why?'

Renzi hesitated. 'I speak only as a friend—a true friend, you must allow. You must take it from me that the higher orders of polite society do view the—relations of a gentleman and lady in quite another way. It is the object of any union to serve, first, a social purpose, in the ordering of the relationships between great families, the arrangements of property and wealth that will ensue and so forth, and in this the wishes of the couple are seldom consulted.

'Any advances made by your good self will therefore be repelled with the utmost rigour, for a young lady must approach any consideration of nuptials with her reputation of the purest hue. A casual dalliance with—with another will most certainly be terminated with prejudice.'

Kydd's expression turned to stone. 'She will—'

'No, she will not. To be brutally frank, I am taking it that your intentions are perfectly respectable. Therefore I must needs put it to you that a marriage of romantic attachment is available only to the lower sort. This lady will be expected to conform to her parents' wishes and it is my opinion that it were better you remain agreeable but distant in this instance.'

'She said I was interestin' and, damnit, I'm man enough t' spy when a woman's—when she's lookin' at me.'

Renzi's face was grave. 'Thomas, dear friend, it has been known for a well-born lady to play—toy—with men, and while—'

'Y'r opinion is noted, Nicholas, an' I thank ye for it. I shall take care, but I tell ye now, if my addresses are not disagreeable t' a lady then I will press m' suit if I feel so inclined.'

The Collector of Customs for Penzance closed the curtains of the Long Room. 'I'm sorry to have to ask ye to come at such an hour this night. It'll become clear why later . . .'

Kydd and Standish sat together in the front row; Kydd ignored a quizzical look from his first lieutenant and waited patiently. The rest of those in attendance were hard-featured and anonymous-looking individuals, who were not introduced.

Proceedings opened quickly: it seemed that mysterious information had been received of a run in two nights' time. It promised to be the most daring for months and would involve a degree of deception, but there was apparently one great advantage the Revenue possessed.

'I'll trouble ye for the lights,' the Collector boomed importantly. One by one the candles were snuffed, leaving the room in heavy darkness. There was the sound of grunts and scraping from the end of the hall, then quiet.

'Stay in your seats, if y' please. I should explain to ye that we have now a gentleman who's in with the free traders and has the griff concerning their plans, which he's agreed to let us know for a consideration. Ye'll understand, o' course, that he'll be requiring to keep his face from ye, so I'll thank 'ee not to ask questions as will put a name to him. Now, anything y' may wish to ask?'

From the body of the hall a voice called, 'Where's the run, then?' In the blackness nothing could be made out of the man beyond a vague shape.

'Praa Sands.' The voice was deep and chesty, with little attempt at disguise. 'That's where ye'll see 'em, two nights' time.'

'Praa Sands? Why, that's—'

'I didn't say that's where th' cargo's run ashore, I said that's where you'll see 'em.' He paused. 'See, they'll make a showing an' while youse come a-thunderin' along, the tubs are bein' landed in another place.'