‘Not in the least, sir,’ said Jack.
‘Well now, seeing that anything resembling a direct gratification is out of the question with a gentleman of your kind -,
‘Where, where do you get these wild romantic notions?’ thought Jack, looking wistfully into his face.- some members suggested a service of plate, or Suraj-?ud-?Dowlah’s gold-?mounted palanquin. But I put it to them, that a service of plate on the scale they suggested would take a year or so to reach your table, that to my personal knowledge you were already magnificently supplied with silver [Jack possessed six plates, at present in pawn], and that a palanquin, however magnificent, was of little use to a sea-?officer; and it occurred to me that freight was the answer to our problem. Am I too gross, speaking with this freedom?’
‘Oh no, no,’ cried Jack. ‘Use no ceremony, I beg.’ But he was puzzled: freight-?money, that charming unlooked-?for, unlaborious, almost unearned shower of gold, fell only on those fortunate captains of men-?of-?war who carried treasure for Government or for the owners of bullion or specie who did not choose to trust their concentrated wealth to any conveyance less sure; it amounted to two or three per cent of the value carried, and very welcome it was. Although it was far rarer than prize-?money (the sea-?officer’s only other road to a decent competence) it was surer; it had no possible legal difficulties attached, and no man had to risk his ship, his life or his career in getting it. Like every other sailor, Jack knew all about freight-?money, but none had ever come his way: he felt a glowing benevolence towards Canning. Yet still he was in a state of doubt: bullion travelled out to India, not back to England; the Company’s wealth sailed home in the form of tea and muslin, Cashmere shawls . . . He had never heard of bullion homeward-?bound.
‘You may be aware that the Lushington was carrying Borneo rubies, one of our shipments of gems,’ said Canning. ‘And we have a consignment of Tinnevelly pearls as well as two parcels of sapphires. The whole amounts to no great value, I fear, not even quarter of a million; but it takes no room, either - you would not be incommoded. May I hope to persuade you to convey it, sir?’
‘I believe you may, sir,’ said Jack, ‘and I am exceedingly obliged to you for the, hey, delicate, gentlemanlike way this offer has been made.’
‘You must not thank me, my dear Aubrey: there is not the least personal obligation I am only the mouthpiece of the Company. How I wish I could be of some direct service. If there is any way in which I can be of use, I should be most happy - would it, for example, be of any interest to you to send a message to England? If you were to put a few thousand into Bohea and mohair futures, you might well clear thirty per cent before you were home. Some cousins and I keep up an overland mail, and the courier is on the wing He goes by way of Suez’
‘Mohair futures,’ said Jack, in a wondering voice ‘I should be tolerably at sea, there, I am afraid But I tell you what it is, Canning, I should be infinitely obliged if your man would take me a private letter. You shall have it in ten minutes - how kind, how very kind’
He turned Canning over to Pullings for a thorough tour of the ship, with a particular recommendation that he should view the stringers abaft the manger, and the state of the bitts, and resumed his letter.
Sophie dear, here is the prettiest thing in the world
- John Company is stuffing the ship with treasure -you and I are to get freight, as we say - shall explain it to you later: very like prize, but the men don’t share, nor the Admiral neither, this time, since I am under Admiralty orders, is not that charming? No vast great thumping sum, but it will clear me of debt and set us up in a neat cottage with an acre or two. So you are hereby required and directed to proceed to Madeira forthwith and here is a note for Heneage Dundas who will be delighted to give you a passage in Ethalion if he is still on the packet-?run or to find one of our friends bound there if he is not. Lose not a moment: you may knit your wedding-?dress aboard. In great haste, and with far greater love, Jack.
PS Stephen is very well. We had a brush with Linois.
Old Heneage,
As you love me, give Sophie a passage to Madeira. Or if you cannot, stir up Clowes, Seymour, Rieu -any of our reliable, sober friends. And if you can ship a respectable woman as, say boatswain’s servant, you would infinitely oblige
Yours ever,
Jack Aubrey PS Surprise had a mauling from Marengo, 74, but paid her back with interest, and the moment her bow-?knees are something like, I put to sea. This comes overland, and I dare say it will outrun me by a couple of months.
‘Here you are, sir,’ he cried, seeing Canning’s bulk darken the cabin-?door. ‘Signed, sealed and delivered. I am most uncommon grateful.’
‘Not at all. I shall give it to Atkins directly, and he will take it to the courier before he leaves.’
‘Atkins? Mr Stanhope’s Atkins?’
‘Yes. Dr Maturin gave him a chit for me: it seems that with the envoy dying in that unhappy way, he was out of a place. Are you acquainted with him?’
‘He came out in Surprise, of course: but really I hardly saw anything of the gentleman.’
‘Ah? Indeed? That reminds me, I have not had the pleasure of seeing Maturin for some days now.’
‘Nor have I. We meet at these splendid dinners, but otherwise he is busy at the hospital or running about the country looking for bugs and tigers.’
‘Be so good as to call mc an elephant,’ said Stephen.
‘Sahib, at once. Does the sahib prefer a male elephant, or a female elephant?’
‘A male elephant. I should be more at home with a male elephant.’
‘Would the sahib wish me to bring him to a house of boys? Cleaned, polite boys like gazelles, that sing and play the flute?’
‘No, Mahomet: just the elephant, if you please.’
The enormous grey creature knelt down, and Stephen looked closely into its wise little old eye, gleaming among the paint and embroidery.
