She had seen me leap with very little appearance (however much
reality) of hesitation; to be sure, she was not to be beat by her
discarded friend. Up she stood on the bulwarks and held by a stay,
the wind blowing in her petticoats, which made the enterprise more
dangerous, and gave us rather more of a view of her stockings than
would be thought genteel in cities. There was no minute lost, and
scarce time given for any to interfere if they had wished the same.
I stood up on the other side and spread my arms; the ship swung
down on us, the patroon humoured his boat nearer in than was
perhaps wholly safe, and Catriona leaped into the air. I was so
happy as to catch her, and the fishers readily supporting us,
escaped a fall. She held to me a moment very tight, breathing
quick and deep; thence (she still clinging to me with both hands)
we were passed aft to our places by the steersman; and Captain Sang
and all the crew and passengers cheering and crying farewell, the
boat was put about for shore.
As soon as Catriona came a little to herself she unhanded me
suddenly, but said no word. No more did I; and indeed the
whistling of the wind and the breaching of the sprays made it no
time for speech; and our crew not only toiled excessively but made
extremely little way, so that the Rose had got her anchor and was
off again before we had approached the harbour mouth.
We were no sooner in smooth water than the patroon, according to
their beastly Hollands custom, stopped his boat and required of us
our fares. Two guilders was the man's demand--between three and
four shillings English money--for each passenger. But at this
Catriona began to cry out with a vast deal of agitation. She had
asked of Captain Sang, she said, and the fare was but an English
shilling. "Do you think I will have come on board and not ask
first?" cries she. The patroon scolded back upon her in a lingo
where the oaths were English and the rest right Hollands; till at
last (seeing her near tears) I privately slipped in the rogue's
hand six shillings, whereupon he was obliging enough to receive
from her the other shilling without more complaint. No doubt I was
a good deal nettled and ashamed. I like to see folk thrifty, but
not with so much passion; and I daresay it would be rather coldly
that I asked her, as the boat moved on again for shore, where it
was that she was trysted with her father.
"He is to be inquired of at the house of one Sprott, an honest
Scotch merchant," says she; and then with the same breath, "I am
wishing to thank you very much--you are a brave friend to me."
"It will be time enough when I get you to your father," said I,
little thinking that I spoke so true. "I can tell him a fine tale
of a loyal daughter."
"O, I do not think I will be a loyal girl, at all events," she
cried, with a great deal of painfulness in the expression. "I do
not think my heart is true."
"Yet there are very few that would have made that leap, and all to
obey a father's orders," I observed.
"I cannot have you to be thinking of me so," she cried again.
"When you had done that same, how would I stop behind? And at all
events that was not all the reasons." Whereupon, with a burning
face, she told me the plain truth upon her poverty.
"Good guide us!" cried I, "what kind of daft-like proceeding is
this, to let yourself be launched on the continent of Europe with
an empty purse--I count it hardly decent--scant decent!" I cried.
"You forget James More, my father, is a poor gentleman," said she.
"He is a hunted exile."
"But I think not all your friends are hunted exiles," I exclaimed.
"And was this fair to them that care for you? Was it fair to me?
was it fair to Miss Grant that counselled you to go, and would be
driven fair horn-mad if she could hear of it? Was it even fair to
these Gregory folk that you were living with, and used you
lovingly? It's a blessing you have fallen in my hands! Suppose
your father hindered by an accident, what would become of you here,
and you your lee-lone in a strange place? The thought of the thing
frightens me," I said.