the information in regard to florry was very meagre and very indefinite. she was a very beautiful young lady of eighteen; and it was not at all strange that a young confederate officer should be attracted to her, though the thought of it was exceedingly disagreeable to her father, under present circumstances.
percy evidently was not satisfied with the situation; and after he had given the information which had so disturbed the owner of the steamer, he desired to change the subject of the conversation, to which captain passford only assented after he realized that nothing could be ascertained from him in regard to his daughter.
"i don't think i quite understand the situation on board of this steamer," said percy, when he had told all he knew about the visits of his brother at glenfield.
92 "what further do you desire to know in regard to her?" asked captain passford; for the commander, when he saw that there was a family matter involved in the conversation, was disposed to be very reticent.
"i did not come on board of this vessel in the manner i did—i do not even know her name yet," continued percy; and when he found that he was talking to a brother of colonel passford, he dropped all his rather magnificent airs, and became quite sensible.
"the steamer is called the bellevite," replied the owner.
"the bellevite. it is an odd name, but i think i can remember it. i was about to say that i did not come on board of her, as i did, without an object; for i assure you that i am high-toned enough not to do any thing in an irregular manner unless for the most weighty reasons," said percy, with an anxious look directed towards the island, which was now almost out of sight.
"i do not ask your reasons; but, if you wish to give them, i will hear all you have to say, mr. percy," replied the owner.
"i talked with mr. pierson on shore; and 93 though he was disposed at first to chaff me, and avoid giving me any information in regard to this steamer, he afterwards informed me that the gentleman who owned her intended to get rid of her as soon as he could."
"and you came on board for the purpose of buying her?" suggested captain passford.
"i did not expect to buy her myself, of course; but my father is exceedingly anxious to obtain a steamer like this one, and he asked me to do what i could to obtain any information in regard to her. that was the object which brought me on board of her in a clandestine manner."
"you were very zealous in meeting the wishes of your father."
"more than that, i was at work in a good cause; and i think i have patriotism enough to do my duty to my country in the hour of her need," added the young man, with a swell of the chest.
"after his family, a man's first duty is to his country," said the owner.
"i wanted to go into the army, for i am eighteen years old; but my father insisted that i could be of more service to the confederacy as his assistant in obtaining vessels for its use."
94 "i understand your motives."
"from what i learned from mr. pierson,—though i do not yet know who or what he is," said percy, bestowing a smiling glance upon christy.
"you may look upon him as my nephew," added captain passford, glancing at his son, who gave a slight bow for the benefit of the guest on board.
"from what i could learn from your nephew, sir, i concluded that this steamer could be bought, if i could only obtain an interview with the owner," continued percy, with an inquiring glance at all who were present "i understand you are the owner of the vessel, captain passford."
"you are quite right: she has been my yacht since she was built, and a stronger and more able vessel was never put into the water."
"mr. pierson gave me to understand that he was in sympathy with the confederacy; and since i came on board, and learned that you were a brother of our nearest neighbor, i have no difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that you are a devoted friend of the southern cause."
"what i am, for the present, i do not feel at 95 liberty to say," replied captain passford, who was certainly reluctant to play a double part before the young man, though he felt that the necessities of the occasion required him to do so.
"quite right, sir; one cannot be too cautious in these times. but it is time for me to say that i did not intend to take passage in the bellevite, and i am sure my father will be very anxious in my absence."
"may i ask how you did intend to proceed?"
"i can hardly tell myself, sir; but my object was to see the owner as soon as i could discover who he was. but i have found you now, captain passford, and i am glad to find in you a friend of our holy cause."
the owner only bowed; and it was as true as it could be that the representative of the intended purchaser of vessels jumped at nearly all of his conclusions, giving the captain but little occasion to say any thing that was not literally true; though the deception was just as real as though it had been carried on with actual falsehood.
"may i ask you for a few minutes in private, captain passford?" continued percy.
96 "certainly;" and the owner retired with him to the weather-rail.
"i have seen this vessel, and i have heard what you say of her. now i am better informed in regard to her than my father is. i am not authorized to name a price, but i am very sure that he will buy her."
"so he said to me himself, mr. percy," added the owner with a smile.
"he said so to you, sir!" exclaimed the young man, starting back; for he believed that he had accomplished all that had been done towards buying the vessel.
"i had an interview with him, and stated most explicitly that the bellevite could not be purchased by any person at any price; and when i hinted very guardedly to him, as i do to you, in the strictest confidence, that i am hound for mobile bay, he did not urge the matter. he was satisfied that the steamer was to be used in a good cause; and i can give you the same assurance, mr. percy."
the young man looked positively humble after he had listened to the remark of the owner, for he felt that his father had "taken all the wind out 97 of his sails." he looked in the direction of the receding island of nassau, and realized that he had been wasting his time, to say nothing of the wasted strategy he had bestowed on his enterprise.
"you have stated that you are bound for mobile bay, sir," said he. "that is a long distance from new providence, as i have learned from experience."
"but this trip will give you the satisfaction of being restored to your own home in a very short time, for there is no faster vessel afloat than the bellevite," added captain passford.
"it will put me into the army," said mr. percy; but he felt at once that he had made a slip of the tongue, and he hastened to correct the effect of his involuntary speech. "of course, i wanted to go into the army of my country, as every patriotic fellow in the south does; but my father objects simply because i can be of more service to the good cause in another field of action, and i had to yield the point."
the owner thought he had not been guilty of a very savage yielding of his own inclination, but he said nothing. he was evidently the youngest child of the family, and doubtless the pet of his 98 parents; and it was hard for them to put him in a position to be shot, or to endure the hardships of the camp.
"i see now that my mission is a failure, though with no detriment to the good cause. i wish i was in new providence again," continued mr. percy, looking very much discontented with himself.
"i am sorry you did not speak to me on shore as your father did, and that would have saved you from all annoyance."
"but i must beg you to do me the favor to put me ashore again, for my father will suffer untold agonies when he misses me to-night."
"put you on shore!" exclaimed captain passford. "you are a sensible and reasonable young gentleman, and you will readily see that this is quite impossible."
"we have not been out above two hours, sir," suggested percy.
"but we have made thirty-six miles, at least, in that time; and to return would delay me about four or five hours,—long enough, perhaps, to defeat the object of my voyage. i assure you that it is wholly impossible for us to return."
99 "do you think so, sir?" asked the enterprising purchaser of vessels, looking very disconsolate indeed.
"i not only think so, but i am perfectly sure on this point. you can see for yourself that i cannot sacrifice the object of my voyage—for the vessel has a special mission at her destination—by a delay of some hours. i am not responsible for your being on board, and i am sorry that i cannot do any thing for you."
"but you can put me ashore at key west, and i may find some vessel bound to nassau," suggested percy, becoming more and more disconsolate, as he realized the difficulties of his situation, for he was plainly very much averse to returning to his home.
"but, my dear mr. percy, the bellevite will not go within fifty miles of key west; and if she did, i should not dare to put in there, for the port is a naval station of the united states, and my vessel might be taken from me in the absence of any regular papers to explain her character."
"i suppose you are right," added percy gloomily.
captain passford was really more afraid of falling in with any naval vessel of the nation than of 100 meeting any of the confederate tugs or other vessels which had been hurriedly fitted out, even at this early period of the war; for he knew that his mission, however justifiable under the circumstances, was quite irregular. he had decided to keep at least fifty miles from key west, and the usual course of vessels bound into the gulf of mexico.
"we may meet some vessel, and you could put me on board of her," the disconsolate young man proposed.
"my mission compels me to give every vessel a wide berth, and i can incur no risks. but it cannot be a great hardship for you to be conveyed back to your own home."
"but my father needs me with him, and he will suffer terrible anxiety when he fails to find me. he will even think i am dead."
"i know he must be anxious, but i think some way will be found to send a letter to him."
"but i shall be compelled to go into the army, and my father is utterly opposed to that."
"but you have a brother who is a major in the army, and i should say that he will be able to save you."
101 "my brother is the one who insists that i shall go into one of the regiments forming in the state. he called me a coward because i yielded to my father and mother."
"all that is your own family affair, and i am sorry that i can do nothing for you, mr, percy.—mr. watts," he called to the chief steward, who was planking the lee-side of the deck.
"here, sir," replied the official.
"give mr. percy the best stateroom available, and see that he is made as comfortable and happy as possible," added the owner.
the involuntary guest on board was conducted to the cabin.
