Snarleyyow; or, the Dog Fiend, by Captain Marryat Sonnet on first meeting Southey and Wordsworth Some Reflections upon this New "Plague," the "Plague of Papers" Sketches of Bohemia, and the Slavonian Provinces of the Austrian Empire PAGE. 1, 67, 133, 219, 268, 336 66 76 145 202, 280, 357 THE METROPOLITAN. No. LXIX. FOR JANUARY, 1837. SNARLEYYOW; OR, THE DOG FIEND.* | night. AN HISTORICAL NOVEL. BY CAPT. MARRYAT. CHAPTER XXVII. Smallbones, who perceived the drift of all this, promised to act accordingly, and in the last chapter it will be observed how he contrived to deceive his master. As soon as the lieutenant was out of hearing, Smallbones rose, and leaving the bag where it lay, hastened back to Portsmouth, and came on board about two hours before Vanslyperken rang his bell. He narrated what had passed, but, of course, could not exactly swear that it was Vanslyperken who fired the pistol, as it was fired from behind, but even if he could have so sworn at that time he would have obtained but little redress. It was considered much more advisable that Smallbones should pretend to believe that he had been attacked by robbers, and that the ball had missed him, after he had frightened his master by his unexpected appearance, for Vanslyperken would still be of the opinion that the lad possessed a charmed life. In which Mr. Vanslyperken is taught a secret. WE are anxious to proceed with our narrative, but we must first explain the unexpected appearance of Smallbones. When Corporal Van Spitter was requested by Vanslyperken to bring a pistol and cartridge, the corporal, who had not forgotten the hints thrown out by Vanslyperken during their last consultation, immediately imagined that it was for Smallbones' benefit. And he was strengthened in his opinion, when he learnt that Smallbones was to go on shore with his master after it was dusk. Now Corporal Van Spitter had no notion of the poor lad's brains being blown out, and when Mr. Vanslyperken went on deck and left the pistol, he went into the cabin, searched for it, and drew the bullet, which Vanslyperken, of course, was not aware of. It In the morning the corporal came in, and then occurred to the corporal, that if the after asking after his superior's health, inpistol were aimed at Smallbones, and he formed him that Smallbones had come on was uninjured, it would greatly add to the board, that the lad said that the robbers idea, already half entertained by the su- had fired a pistol at him, and then knockperstitious lieutenant, of their being some-ed him down with the butt end of it, and thing supernatural about Smallbones, if that he had escaped but with the loss of he were left to suppose that he had been the bag. killed, and had reappeared. He, therefore, communicated his suspicions to the lad, told him what he had done, and advised him, if the pistol were fired, to pretend to be killed, and when left by his master, to come on board quietly in the VOL. III. * Continued from page 319. The state of Mr. Vanslyperken during the remainder of that night was pitiable, but we must leave the reader to suppose rather than attempt to describe it. This was a great relief to the mind of Mr. Vanslyperken, who had imagined that he had been visited by the ghost of Smallbones during the night: he expressed himself glad at his return, and a wish to be left alone, upon which the corporal retired. As soon as Vanslyperken found out that Smallbones was still alive, his desire to kill him returned, although, when he supposed him dead, he would, to escape | him, walked forward, and went down from his own feelings, have resuscitated below. him. One chief idea now whirled in his A little before twelve o'clock a boat brain, which was, that the lad must have came alongside, and Ramsay stepped out a charmed life; he had floated out to the of it into the cutter. Vanslyperken had Owers light and back again, and now he been walking the deck to receive him, and had had a pistol-bullet passed through his immediately showed him down into the scull without injury. He felt too much cabin, where he left him to go on deck, fear to attempt anything against him for and get the cutter under weigh. There the future, but his desire to do so was was a small stove in the cabin, for the stronger than ever. weather was still cold; they were advancExcitement and vexation brought on aed into the month of March. Ramsay slow fever, and Mr. Vanslyperken lay for three or four days in bed; at the end of which period he received a message from the admiral, directing him to come or send on shore (for his state had been made known) for his despatches, and to sail as soon as possible. Upon receiving the message, Mr. Vanslyperken recollected his engagement at the house of the Jew Lazarus, and weak as he was, felt too much afraid of the results, should he fail, not to get out of bed and go on shore. It was with difficulty he could walk so far. When he arrived he found Ramsay ready to receive him. "To sail as soon as possible:-'tis well, sir. Have you your despatches?" "I sent to the admiral's for them," replied Vanslyperken. "Well then, be all ready to start at midnight. I shall come on board about a quarter of an hour before; you may go, sir." Vanslyperken quailed under the keen eye and stern look of Ramsay, and obeyed the uncourteous order in silence; still he thought of revenge as he walked back to the boat and re-embarked in the cutter. "What's this, Short?" observed Coble: "here is a new freak; we start at midnight, I hear.” Yes," replied Short. threw off his coat, laid two pair of loaded pistols on the table, locked the door of the cabin, and then proceeded to warm himself, while Vanslyperken was employed on deck. In an hour the cutter was outside and clear of all danger, and Vanslyperken had to knock to gain admittance into his own cabin. Ramsay opened the door, and Vanslyperken who thought he must say something, observed gloomily, "We are all clear, sir." "Very good," replied Ramsay; "and now, sir, I believe that you have despatches on board ?" "Yes," replied Vanslyperken. "You will oblige me by letting me look at them." "My despatches!" said Vanslyperken, with surprise. "Yes, sir, your despatches; immediately, if you please-no trifling." You forget, sir," replied Vanslyperken, angrily," that I am not any longer in your power, but on board of my own vessel." "You appear not to know, sir, that you are in my power even on board of your own vessel," replied Ramsay, starting up, and laying his hand over the pistols, which he drew towards him, and replaced in his belt. "If you trust to your ship's "Something quite new, any how:-don't company you are mistaken as you will understand it :-do you?" "No," replied Dick. soon discover. I demand the despatches." "But, sir, you will ruin me and ruin "Well, now Jemmy's gone, I don't care yourself," replied Vanslyperken, alarmed. how soon I follow, Dick." "for my "Nor I," replied Short. "Fear not," replied Ramsay; own sake, and that of the good cause, I shall not hurt you. No one will know that the despatches have been ever examined, and "I've a notion there's some mystery in all this. For," continued Coble," the admiral would never have ordered us out till to-morrow morning, if he did not make us sail this evening. It's not a man-of-gloomily. war fashion, is it, Dick ?" "No," replied Short. "Well, we shall see," replied Coble. "I shall turn in now. You've heard all about Smallbones, heh! Dick?" Short nodded his head. "Well, we shall see; but I'll back the boy 'gainst master and dog too, in the long run. D-n his Dutch carcass, he seems to make but small count of English subjects, heh!” Short leant over the gunwale and whistled. Coble, finding it impossible to extract one monosyllable more from "And what?" replied Vanslyperken, "For the passage, and this service, you will receive one hundred guineas." Vanslyperken no longer hesitated; he opened the drawer in which he had deposited the letters, and produced them. "Now lock the door," said Ramsay, taking his seat. He then examined the seals, pulled some out of his pocket, and compared them; sorted the letters according to the seals, and laid one corresponding at the head of each file, for there were three different government seals upon the despatches. He then took a long Dutch earthen pipe which was hanging above, broke off the bowl, and put one end of the stem into the fire. When it was of a red heat he took it out, and applying his lips to the cool end, and the hot one close to the sealing wax, he blew through it, and the heated blast soon dissolved the wax, and the despatches were opened one after another without the slightest difficulty or injury to the paper. He then commenced reading, taking memorandums on his tablets as lie proceeded. When he had finished, he again heated the pipe, melted the wax, which had become cold and hard again, and resealed all the letters with his counterfeit seals. During this occupation, which lasted upwards of an hour, Vanslyperken looked on with surprise, leaning against the bulkhead of the cabin. It was now daylight, and the cutter was running with a favourable breeze; the hands were turned up, and Corporal Van Spitter came on deck. Vanslyperken, who had been running over in his mind all the events which had latterly taken place, had considered that, as he had lost the Portsmouth widow, he might as well pursue his suit with the widow Vandersloosh, especially as she had sent such a conciliating message by the corporal, and perceiving the corporal on deck, he beckoned to him to approach. Vanslyperken then observed, that he was angry the other day, and that the corporal need not give that message to the Frau Vandersloosh, as he intended to call upon her himself upon his arrival. Van Spitter, who did not know anything about the Portsmouth widow, and could not imagine why the angry message had been given, of course assented, although he was fully determin "There, sir, are your despatches," said Ramsay, rising from his chair: "you may now put them away; and, as you may ob-ed that the widow should be informed of serve, you are not compromised." "No, indeed," replied Vanslyperken, who was struck with the ingenuity of the method; "but you have given me an idea." "I will tell you what that is," replied Ramsay. "You are thinking, if I left you these false seals, you could give me the contents of the despatches, provided you were well paid. Is it not so?" "It was," replied Vanslyperken, who had immediately been struck with such a new source of wealth; for he cared little what he did-all he cared for was dis covery. "Had you not proposed it yourself, I intended that you should have done it, sir." replied Ramsay; "and that you should also be paid for it. I will arrange all that before I leave the vessel. But now I shall retire to my bed. Have you one ready?" "I have none but what you see," observed Vanslyperken. "It is my own, but at your service." "I shall accept it,” replied Ramsay, putting his pistols under his pillow, after having thrown himself on the outside of the bed-clothes, pulling his roquelaure over him. "And now you will oblige me by turning that cur out of the cabin, for his smell is anything but pleasant." Vanslyperken had no idea of his passenger so coolly taking possession of his bed, but to turn out Snarleyyow as well as himself, appeared an unwarrantable liberty. But he felt that he had but to submit, for Ramsay was despotic, and he was afraid of him. After much resistance, Snarleyyow was kicked out by his master, who then went on deck not in the very best of humours, at finding he had so completely sold himself to those who might betray and hang him the very next day. "At all events," thought Vanslyperken, "I'm well paid for it." the insult. The question was now, how to be able to go on shore himself; and to compass that without suspicion, he remarked that the maid Babette was a very fine maid, and he should like to see her again. This little piece of confidence was not thrown away. Vanslyperken was too anxious to secure the corporal, and he replied, that the corporal should go on shore and see her, if he pleased; upon which Corporal Van Spitter made his best military salute, turned round on his heel, and walked away, laughing in his sleeve at having so easily gulled his superior. On the third morning the cutter had arrived at her destined port. During the passage Ramsay had taken possession of the cabin, ordering everything as he pleased, much to the surprise of the crew. Mr. Vanslyperken spoke of him as a king's messenger, but still Smallbones, who took care to hear what was going on, reported the abject submission shown to Ramsay by the lieutenant, and this was the occasion of great marvel; moreover, they doubted his being a king's messenger, for, as Smallbones very shrewdly observed, "Why, if he was a king's messenger, did he not come with the despatches?" However, they could only surmise, and no more. But the dog being turned out of the cabin in compliance with Ramsay's wish, was the most important point of all. They could have got over all the rest, but that was quite incomprehensible, and they all agreed with Coble, when he observed, hitching up his trowsers, "Depend upon it, there's a screw loose somewhere." As soon as the cutter was at anchor, Ramsay ordered his portmanteau into the boat, and Vanslyperken having accompanied him on shore, they separated, Ramsay informing Vanslyperken that he would wish to see him the next day, and giving him his address. Vanslyperken delivered his despatches, | precision, and in small beds full of tulips, and then hastened to the widow Vander ranunculas, and other bulbs now just apsloosh, who received him with a well-as-pearing above the ground. The sailors sumed appearance of mingled pleasure and reserve. Vanslyperken led her to the sofa, poured forth a multitudinous compound composed of regret, devotion, and apologies, which at last appeared to have melted the heart of the widow, who once more gave him her hand to salute. Vanslyperken was all rapture at so unexpected a reconciliation; the name of the cur was not mentioned, and Vanslyperken thought to himself, "This will dolet me only once get you, my Frau, and I'll teach you to wish my dog dead at your porch." On the other hand the widow thought, "And so this atomy really believes that I would look upon him. Well, well, Mr. Vanslyperken, we shall see how it ends. Your cur under my bed, indeed, so sure do you never Yes, yes, Mr. Vansly perken." There is a great deal of humbug in this world, that is certain, CHAPTER XXVIII. In which we have at last introduced a decent sort of heroine, who, however, only plays a second in our history, Snarley yow being first fiddle. BUT we must leave Mr. Vanslyperken, and the widow, and the Yungfrau, and all connected with her, for the present, and follow the steps of Ramsay, in doing which we shall have to introduce new personages in our little drama. waited outside while the old grey-headed servitor who had opened the gate, ushered Ramsay through the court to a second door which led into the house. The hall into which he entered was paved with marble, and the staircase bold and handsome which led to the first floor, but on each side of the hall there were wooden partitions and half-glass doors, through which Ramsay could see that the rest of the basement was appropriated to warehouses, and that in the warehouse at the back of the building there were people busily employed hoisting out merchandize from the vessels in the canal, the water of which adjoined the very walls. Ramsay followed the man up stairs, who showed him into a very splendidly furnished apartment, and then went to summon his master, who, he said, was below in the warehouse. Ramsay had but a minute or two to examine the various objects which decorated the room, particularly some very fine pictures, when Mynheer Van Krause made his appearance, with some open tablets in his hand and his pen across his mouth. He was a very short man, with a respectable paunch, a very small head, quite bald, a keen blue eye, reddish but straight nose, and a very florid complexion. There was nothing vulgar about his appearance, although his figure was against him. His countenance was one of extreme frankness, mixed with considerable intelligence, and his whole manner gave you the idea of precision and calculation. "You would-tyfel-I forgot my pen,” said the syndic, catching it as it fell out of his mouth. "You would speak with me, mynheer? To whom have I the pleasure of addressing myself?" "These letters, sir," replied Ramsay, will inform you.” As soon as Ramsay had taken leave of Vansylperken, being a stranger at Amsterdam, he inquired his way to the Golden" street, in which resided Mynheer Van Krause, syndic of the town, and to whom he had obtained his principal letters of introduction. The syndic's house was too well known not to be immediately pointed out to him, and in ten minutes he found himself, with the sailors at his heels who had been ordered to carry up his baggage, at a handsomely carved door painted in bright green, and with knockers of mas-finished the first letter, he put his glasses sive brass which glittered in the sun. Ramsay, as he waited a few seconds, looked up at the house, which was large and with a noble front to the wide street in face of it, not, as usual with most of the others, divided in the centre by a canal running the whole length of it. The door was opened, and led into a large paved yard, the sides of which were lined with evergreens in large tubs, painted of the same bright green colour; adjoining to the yard was a small garden enclosed with high walls, which was laid out with great Mynheer Van Krause laid his tablets on the table, putting his pen across to mark the leaf where he had them open, and taking the letters, begged Ramsay to be seated. He then took a chair, pulled a pair of hand-glasses out of his pocket, laid them on his knees, broke the seals, and falling back so as to recline, commenced reading. As soon as he had down from his eyes, and made a bow to Ramsay, folded the open letter the length of the sheet, took out his pencil, and on the outside wrote the date of the letter, the day of the month, name, and the name of the writer. Having done this, he laid the first letter down on the table, took up the second, raised up his glasses, and performed the same duty towards it, and thus he continued until he had read the whole six, always, as he concluded each letter, making the same low bow to Ramsay which he had after the perusal of the first, |
