Varney the Vampire by Thomas Preskett Prest

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"Ay, ay," he muttered; "just as the devil likes to meet with holy water,
or as I like any water save salt water."

He was speedily introduced to Sir Francis Varney, who was seated in the
same posture as he had been left by Henry Bannerworth not many minutes
before.

"Admiral Bell," said Sir Francis, rising, and bowing to that individual
in the most polite, calm, and dignified manner imaginable, "permit me to
express the honour I feel at this unexpected visit."

"None of your gammon."

"Will you be seated. Allow me to offer you such refreshments as this
poor house affords."

"D--n all this! You know, Sir Francis, I don't want none o' this
palaver. It's for all the world like a Frenchman, when you are going to
give him a broadside; he makes grimaces, throws dust in your eyes, and
tries to stab you in the back. Oh, no! none of that for me."

"I should say not, Admiral Bell. I should not like it myself, and I dare
say you are a man of too much experience not to perceive when you are or
are not imposed upon."

"Well, what is that to you? D--n me, I didn't come here to talk to you
about myself."

"Then may I presume upon your courtesy so far as to beg that you will
enlighten me upon the object of your visit!"

"Yes; in pretty quick time. Just tell me where you have stowed away my
nephew, Charles Holland?"

"Really, I--"

"Hold your slack, will you, and hear me out; if he's living, let him
out, and I'll say no more about it; that's liberal, you know; it ain't
terms everybody would offer you."

"I must, in truth, admit they are not; and, moreover, they quite
surprise even me, and I have learned not to be surprised at almost
anything."

"Well, will you give him up alive? but, hark ye, you mustn't have made
very queer fish of him, do ye see?"

"I hear you," said Sir Francis, with a bland smile, passing one hand
gently over the other, and showing his front teeth in a peculiar manner;
"but I really cannot comprehend all this; but I may say, generally, that
Mr. Holland is no acquaintance of mine, and I have no sort of knowledge
where he may be."

"That won't do for me," said the admiral, positively, shaking his head.

"I am particularly sorry, Admiral Bell, that it will not, seeing that I
have nothing else to say."

"I see how it is; you've put him out of the way, and I'm d----d if you
shan't bring him to life, whole and sound, or I'll know the reason why."

"With that I have already furnished you, Admiral Bell," quietly rejoined
Varney; "anything more on that head is out of my power, though my
willingness to oblige a person of such consideration as yourself, is
very great; but, permit me to add, this is a very strange and odd
communication from one gentleman to another. You have lost a relative,
who has, very probably, taken some offence, or some notion into his
head, of which nobody but himself knows anything, and you come to one
yet more unlikely to know anything of him, than even yourself.

"Gammon again, now, Sir Francis Varney, or Blarney."

"Varney, if you please, Admiral Bell; I was christened Varney."

"Christened, eh?"

"Yes, christened--were you not christened? If not, I dare say you
understand the ceremony well enough."

[Illustration]

"I should think I did; but, as for christening, a--"

"Go on, sir."

"A vampyre! why I should as soon think of reading the burial service of
a pig."

"Very possible; but what has all this to do with your visit to me?"

"This much, you lubber. Now, d--n my carcass from head to stern, if I
don't call you out."

"Well, Admiral Bell," slid Varney, mildly, "in that case, I suppose I
must come out; but why do you insist that I have any knowledge of your
nephew, Mr. Charles Holland?"

"You were to have fought a duel with him, and now he's gone."

"I am here," said Varney.

"Ay," said the admiral, "that's as plain as a purser's shirt upon a
handspike; but that's the very reason why my nevey ain't here, and
that's all about it."

"And that's marvellous little, so far as the sense is concerned," said
Varney, without the movement of a muscle.

"It is said that people of your class don't like fighting mortal men;
now you have disposed of him, lest he should dispose of you."

"That is explicit, but it is to no purpose, since the gentleman in
question hasn't placed himself at my disposal."

"Then, d----e, I will; fish, flesh, or fowl, I don't care; all's one to
Admiral Bell. Come fair or fowl, I'm a tar for all men; a seaman ever
ready to face a foe, so here goes, you lubberly moon manufactured calf."

"I hear, admiral, but it is scarcely civil, to say the least of it;
however, as you are somewhat eccentric, and do not, I dare say, mean all
your words imply, I am quite willing to make every allowance."

"I don't want any allowance; d--n you and your allowance, too; nothing
but allowance of grog, and a pretty good allowance, too, will do for me,
and tell you, Sir Francis Varney," said the admiral, with much wrath,
"that you are a d----d lubberly hound, and I'll fight you; yes, I'm
ready to hammer away, or with anything from a pop-gun to a ship's gun;
you don't come over me with your gammon, I tell you. You've murdered
Charles Holland because you couldn't face him--that's the truth of it."

"With the other part of your speech, Admiral Bell, allow me to say, you
have mixed up a serious accusation--one I cannot permit to pass
lightly."

"Will you or not fight?"

"Oh, yes; I shall be happy to serve you any way that I can. I hope this
will be an answer to your accusation, also."

"That's settled, then."

"Why, I am not captious, Admiral Bell, but it is not generally usual for
the principals to settle the preliminaries themselves; doubtless you, in
your career of fame and glory, know something of the manner in which
gentlemen demean themselves on these occasions."

"Oh, d--n you! Yes, I'll send some one to do all this. Yes, yes, Jack
Pringle will be the man, though Jack ain't a holiday, shore-going,
smooth-spoken swab, but as good a seaman as ever trod deck or handled a
boarding-pike."

"Any friend of yours," said Varney, blandly, "will be received and
treated as such upon an errand of such consequence; and now our
conference has, I presume, concluded."

"Yes, yes, I've done--d----e, no--yes--no. I will keel-haul you but I'll
know something of my neavy, Charles Holland."

"Good day, Admiral Bell." As Varney spoke, he placed his hand upon the
bell which he had near him, to summon an attendant to conduct the
admiral out. The latter, who had said a vast deal more than he ever
intended, left the room in a great rage, protesting to himself that he
would amply avenge his nephew, Charles Holland.

He proceeded homeward, considerably vexed and annoyed that he had been
treated with so much calmness, and all knowledge of his nephew denied.

When he got back, he quarrelled heartily with Jack Pringle--made it
up--drank grog--quarrelled--made it up, and finished with grog
again--until he went to bed swearing he should like to fire a broadside
at the whole of the French army, and annihilate it at once.

With this wish, he fell asleep.

Early next morning, Henry Bannerworth sought Mr. Chillingworth, and
having found him, he said in a serious tone,--

"Mr. Chillingworth, I have rather a serious favour to ask you, and one
which you may hesitate in granting."

"It must be very serious indeed," said Mr. Chillingworth, "that I should
hesitate to grant it to you; but pray inform me what it is that you deem
so serious?"

"Sir Francis Varney and I must have a meeting," said Henry.

"Have you really determined upon such a course?" said Mr. Chillingworth;
"you know the character of your adversary?"

"That is all settled,--I have given a challenge, and he has accepted it;
so all other considerations verge themselves into one--and that is the
when, where, and how."

"I see," said Mr. Chillingworth. "Well, since it cannot be helped on
your part, I will do what is requisite for you--do you wish anything to
be done or insisted on in particular in this affair."

"Nothing with regard to Sir Francis Varney that I may not leave to your
discretion. I feel convinced that he is the assassin of Charles Holland,
whom he feared to fight in duel."

"Then there remains but little else to do, but to arrange preliminaries,
I believe. Are you prepared on every other point?"

"I am--you will see that I am the challenger, and that he must now
fight. What accident may turn up to save him, I fear not, but sure I am,
that he will endeavour to take every advantage that may arise, and so
escape the encounter."

"And what do you imagine he will do now he has accepted your challenge?"
said Mr. Chillingworth; "one would imagine he could not very well
escape."

"No--but he accepted the challenge which Charles Holland sent him--a
duel was inevitable, and it seems to me to be a necessary consequence
that he disappeared from amongst us, for Mr. Holland would never have
shrunk from the encounter."

"There can be no sort of suspicion about that," remarked Chillingworth;
"but allow me to advise you that you take care of yourself, and keep a
watchful eye upon every one--do not be seen out alone."

"I fear not."

"Nay, the gentleman who has disappeared was, I am sure, fearless enough;
but yet that has not saved him. I would not advise you to be fearful,
only watchful; you have now an event awaiting upon you, which it is well
you should go through with, unless circumstances should so turn out,
that it is needless; therefore I say, when you have the suspicions you
do entertain of this man's conduct, beware, be cautious, and vigilant."

"I will do so--in the mean time, I trust myself confidently in your
hands--you know all that is necessary."

"This affair is quite a secret from all of the family?"

"Most certainly so, and will remain so--I shall be at the Hall."

"And there I will see you--but be careful not to be drawn into any
adventure of any kind--it is best to be on the safe side under all
circumstances."

"I will be especially careful, be assured, but farewell; see Sir Francis
Varney as early as you can, and let the meeting be as early as you can,
and thus diminish the chance of accident."

"That I will attend to. Farewell for the present."

Mr. Chillingworth immediately set about the conducting of the affair
thus confided to him; and that no time might be lost, he determined to
set out at once for Sir Francis Varney's residence.

"Things with regard to this family seem to have gone on wild of late,"
thought Mr. Chillingworth; "this may bring affairs to a conclusion,
though I had much rather they had come to some other. My life for it,
there is a juggle or a mystery somewhere; I will do this, and then we
shall see what will come of it; if this Sir Francis Varney meets
him--and at this moment I can see no reason why he should not do so--it
will tend much to deprive him of the mystery about him; but if, on the
other hand, he refuse--but then that's all improbable, because he has
agreed to do so. I fear, however, that such a man as Varney is a
dreadful enemy to encounter--he is cool and unruffled--and that gives
him all the advantage in such affairs; but Henry's nerves are not bad,
though shaken by these untowards events; but time will show--I would it
were all over."

With these thoughts and feelings strangely intermixed, Mr. Chillingworth
set forward for Sir Francis Varney's house.

* * * * *

Admiral Bell slept soundly enough though, towards morning, he fell into
a strange dream, and thought he was yard arm and yard arm with a strange
fish--something of the mermaid species.

"Well," exclaimed the admiral, after a customary benediction of his eyes
and limbs, "what's to come next? may I be spliced to a shark if I
understand what this is all about. I had some grog last night, but then
grog, d'y'see, is--is--a seaman's native element, as the newspapers say,
though I never read 'em now, it's such a plague."

He lay quiet for a short time, considering in his own mind what was best
to he done, and what was the proper course to pursue, and why he should
dream.

"Hilloa, hilloa, hil--loa! Jack a-hoy! a-hoy!" shouted the admiral, as a
sudden recollection of his challenge came across his memory; "Jack
Pringle a-hoy? d--n you, where are you?--you're never at hand when you
are wanted. Oh, you lubber,--a-hoy!"

"A-hoy!" shouted a voice, as the door opened, and Jack thrust his head
in; "what cheer, messmate? what ship is this?"

"Oh, you lubberly--"

The door was shut in a minute, and Jack Pringle disappeared.

"Hilloa, Jack Pringle, you don't mean to say you'll desert your colours,
do you, you dumb dog?"

"Who says I'll desert the ship as she's sea-worthy!"

"Then why do you go away?"

"Because I won't be called lubberly. I'm as good a man as ever swabbed a
deck, and don't care who says to the contrary. I'll stick to the ship as
long as she's seaworthy," said Jack.

"Well, come here, and just listen to the log, and be d----d to you."

"What's the orders now, admiral?" said Jack, "though, as we are paid
off--"

"There, take that, will you?" said Admiral Bell, as he flung a pillow at
Jack, being the only thing in the shape of a missile within reach.

Jack ducked, and the pillow produced a clatter in the washhand-stand
among the crockery, as Jack said,--

"There's a mutiny in the ship, and hark how the cargo clatters; will you
have it back again?"

"Come, will you? I've been dreaming, Jack."

"Dreaming! what's that?"

"Thinking of something when you are asleep, you swab."

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Jack; "never did such a thing in my life--ha, ha,
ha! what's the matter now?"

"I'll tell you what's the matter. Jack Pringle, you are becoming
mutinous, and I won't have it; if you don't hold your jaw and draw in
your slacks, I'll have another second."

"Another second! what's in the wind, now?" said Jack. "Is this the
dream?"

"If ever I dream when I'm alongside a strange craft, then it is a dream;
but old Admiral Bell ain't the man to sleep when there's any work to be
done."

"That's uncommon true," said Jack, turning a quid.

"Well, then, I'm going to fight."

"Fight!" exclaimed Jack. "Avast, there, I don't see where's the
enemy--none o' that gammon; Jack Pringle can fight, too, and will lay
alongside his admiral, but he don't see the enemy anywhere."

"You don't understand these things, so I'll tell you. I have had a bit
of talk with Sir Francis Varney, and I am going to fight him."

"What the _wamphigher_?" remarked Jack, parenthetically.

"Yes."

"Well, then," resumed Jack, "then we shall see another blaze, at least
afore we die; but he's an odd fish--one of Davy Jones's sort."

"I don't care about that; he may be anything he likes; but Admiral Bell
ain't a-going to have his nephew burned and eaten, and sucked like I
don't know what, by a vampyre, or by any other confounded land-shark."

"In course," said Jack, "we ain't a-going to put up with nothing of that
sort, and if so be as how he has put him out of the way, why it's our
duty to send him after him, and square the board."

"That's the thing, Jack; now you know you must go to Sir Francis Varney
and tell him you come from me."

"I don't care if I goes on my own account," said Jack.

"That won't do; I've challenged him and I must fight him."

"In course you will," returned Jack, "and, if he blows you away, why
I'll take your place, and have a blaze myself."

The admiral gave a look at Jack of great admiration, and then said,--

"You are a d----d good seaman, Jack, but he's a knight, and might say no
to that, but do you go to him, and tell him that you come from me to
settle the when and the where this duel is to be fought."

"Single fight?" said Jack.

"Yes; consent to any thing that is fair," said the admiral, "but let it
be as soon as you can. Now, do you understand what I have said?"

"Yes, to be sure; I ain't lived all these years without knowing your
lingo."

"Then go at once; and don't let the honour of Admiral Bell and old
England suffer, Jack. I'm his man, you know, at any price."

"Never fear," said Jack; "you shall fight him, at any rate. I'll go and
see he don't back out, the warmint."

"Then go along, Jack; and mind don't you go blazing away like a fire
ship, and letting everybody know what's going on, or it'll be stopped."

"I'll not spoil sport," said Jack, as he left the room, to go at once to
Sir Francis Varney, charged with the conducting of the important cartel
of the admiral. Jack made the best of his way with becoming gravity and
expedition until he reached the gate of the admiral's enemy.

Jack rang loudly at the gate; there seemed, if one might judge by his
countenance, a something on his mind, that Jack was almost another man.
The gate was opened by the servant, who inquired what he wanted there.

"The wamphigher."

"Who?"

"The wamphigher."

The servant frowned, and was about to say something uncivil to Jack, who
winked at him very hard, and then said,--

"Oh, may be you don't know him, or won't know him by that name: I wants
to see Sir Francis Varney."

"He's at home," said the servant; "who are you?"

"Show me up, then. I'm Jack Pringle, and I'm come from Admiral Bell; I'm
the Admiral's friend, you see, so none of your black looks."

The servant seemed amazed, as well as rather daunted, at Jack's address;
he showed him, however, into the hall, where Mr. Chillingworth had just
that moment arrived, and was waiting for an interview with Varney.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

MARCHDALE'S OFFER.--THE CONSULTATION AT BANNERWORTH HALL.--THE MORNING
OF THE DUEL.

[Illustration]

Mr. Chillingworth was much annoyed to see Jack Pringle in the hall, and
Jack was somewhat surprised at seeing Mr. Chillingworth there at that
time in the rooming; they had but little time to indulge in their mutual
astonishment, for a servant came to announce that Sir Francis Varney
would see them both.

Without saying anything to the servant or each other, they ascended the
staircase, and were shown into the apartment where Sir Francis Varney
received them.

"Gentlemen," said Sir Francis, in his usual bland tone, "you are
welcome."

"Sir Francis," said Mr. Chillingworth, "I have come upon matters of some
importance; may I crave a separate audience?"

"And I too," said Jack Pringle; "I come as the friend of Admiral Bell, I
want a private audience; but, stay, I don't care a rope's end who knows
who I am, or what I come about; say you are ready to name time and
place, and I'm as dumb as a figure-head; that is saying something, at all
events; and now I'm done."

"Why, gentlemen," said Sir Francis, with a quiet smile, "as you have
both come upon the same errand, and as there may arise a controversy
upon the point of precedence, you had better be both present, as I must
arrange this matter myself upon due inquiry."

"I do not exactly understand this," said Mr. Chillingworth; "do you, Mr.
Pringle? perhaps you can enlighten me?"

"It," said Jack, "as how you came here upon the same errand as I, and I
as you, why we both come about fighting Sir Francis Varney."

"Yes," said Sir Francis; "what Mr. Pringle says, is, I believe correct
to a letter. I have a challenge from both your principals, and am ready
to give you both the satisfaction you desire, provided the first
encounter will permit me the honour of joining in the second. You, Mr.
Pringle, are aware of the chances of war?"

"I should say so," said Jack, with a wink and a nod of a familiar
character. "I've seen a few of them."

"Will you proceed to make the necessary agreement between you both,
gentlemen? My affection for the one equals fully the good will I bear
the other, and I cannot give a preference in so delicate a matter;
proceed gentlemen."

Mr. Chillingworth looked at Jack, and Jack Pringle looked at Mr.
Chillingworth, and then the former said,--

"Well, the admiral means fighting, and I am come to settle the
necessaries; pray let me know what are your terms, Mr.
What-d'ye-call'em."

"I am agreeable to anything that is at all reasonable--pistols, I
presume?"

"Sir Francis Varney," said Mr. Chillingworth, "I cannot consent to carry
on this office, unless you can appoint a friend who will settle these
matters with us--myself, at least."

"And I too," said Jack Pringle; "we don't want to bear down an enemy.
Admiral Bell ain't the man to do that, and if he were, I'm not the man
to back him in doing what isn't fair or right; but he won't do it."

"But, gentlemen, this must not be; Mr. Henry Bannerworth must not be
disappointed, and Admiral Bell must not be disappointed. Moreover, I
have accepted the two cartels, and I am ready and willing to fight;--one
at a time, I presume?"

"Sir Francis, after what you have said, I must take upon myself, on the
part of Mr. Henry Bannerworth, to decline meeting you, if you cannot
name a friend with whom I can arrange this affair."

"Ah!" said Jack Pringle, "that's right enough. I recollect very well
when Jack Mizeu fought Tom Foremast, they had their seconds. Admiral
Bell can't do anything in the dark. No, no, d----e! all must be above
board."

"Gentlemen," said Sir Francis Varney, "you see the dilemma I am in. Your
principals have both challenged me. I am ready to fight any one, or both
of them, as the case may be. Distinctly understand that; because it is a
notion of theirs that I will not do so, or that I shrink from them; but
I am a stranger in this neighbourhood, and have no one whom I could call
upon to relinquish so much, as they run the risk of doing by attending
me to the field."

"Then your acquaintances are no friends, d----e!" said Jack Pringle,
spitting through his teeth into the bars of a beautifully polished
grate. "I'd stick to anybody--the devil himself, leave alone a
vampyre--if so be as how I had been his friends and drunk grog from the
same can. They are a set of lubbers."

"I have not been here long enough to form any such friendships, Mr.
Chillingworth; but can confidently rely upon your honour and that of
your principal, and will freely and fairly meet him."

"But, Sir Francis, you forget the fact, in transacting, myself for
Mr. Bannerworth, and this person or Admiral Bell, we do match, and have
our own characters at stake; nay more, our lives and fortunes. These may
be small; but they are everything to us. Allow me to say, on my own
behalf, that I will not permit my principal to meet you unless you can
name a second, as is usual with gentlemen on such occasions."

"I regret, while I declare to you my entire willingness to meet you,
that I cannot comply through utter inability to do so, with your
request. Let this go forth to the world as I have stated it, and let it
be an answer to any aspersions that may be uttered as to my
unwillingness to fight."

There was a pause of some moments. Mr. Chillingworth was resolved that,
come of it what would, he would not permit Henry to fight, unless Sir
Francis Varney himself should appoint a friend, and then they could meet
upon equal terms.

Jack Pringle whistled, and spit, and chewed and turned his quid--hitched
up his trousers, and looked wistfully from one to the other, as he
said,--

"So then it's likely to be no fight at all, Sir Francis what's-o'-name?"

"It seems like it, Mr. Pringle," replied Varney, with a meaning smile;
"unless you can be more complaisant towards myself, and kind towards the
admiral."

"Why, not exactly that," said Jack; "it's a pity to stop a good play in
the beginning, just because some little thing is wrong in the tackling."

"Perhaps your skill and genius may enable us to find some medium course
that we may pursue with pleasure and profit. What say you, Mr. Pringle?"

"All I know about genius, as you call it is the Flying Dutchman, or some
such odd out of the way fish. But, as I said, I am not one to spoil
sport, nor more is the admiral. Oh, no, we is all true men and good."

"I believe it," said Varney, bowing politely.

"You needn't keep your figure-head on the move; I can see you just as
well. Howsoever, as I was saying, I don't like to spoil sport, and
sooner than both parties should be disappointed, my principal shall
become your second, Sir Francis."

"What, Admiral Bell?" exclaimed Varney, lifting his eyebrows with
surprise.

"What, Charles Holland's uncle!" exclaimed Mr. Chillingworth, in accents
of amazement.

"And why not?" said Jack, with great gravity. "I will pledge my
word--Jack Pringle's word--that Admiral Bell shall be second to Sir
Francis Varney, during his scrimmage with Mr. Henry Bannerworth. That
will let the matter go on; there can be no back-out then, eh?" continued
Jack Pringle, with a knowing nod at Chillingworth as he spoke.

"That will, I hope, remove your scruples, Mr. Chillingworth," said
Varney, with a courteous smile.

"But will Admiral Bell do this?"

"His second says so, and has, I daresay, influence enough with him to
induce that person to act in conformity with his promise."

"In course he will. Do you think he would be the man to hang back? Oh,
no; he would be the last to leave Jack Pringle in the lurch--no. Depend
upon it, Sir Francis, he'll be as sure to do what I say, as I have said
it."