The Prime Minister, Page 2

commander; and near him appeared a young andhandsome man in the costume of a civilian; while the rest of the party,who kept respectfully on the opposite side of the ship, were composed ofthe lieutenants and other officers belonging to her.

  The young man had for some time been standing on the break of the poop,leaning over the rail, and eagerly looking out in the direction towardswhich the ship was bending her course; his thoughts, perhaps, faroutstripping his own tardy progress, and rejoicing in the happiness ofagain meeting parents, kindred, or friends; or it may have been, thatsome feelings yet more tender occupied his bosom. He was aroused fromhis reveries, whatever might have been their tenour, by a no very gentletouch on the back; and, turning round, he beheld the captain of theship. "What, my young friend!" said the latter, in a clear, cheerfultone of voice, "not yet tired of gazing on the dark blue line of thehorizon, as if you expected to see the shores of Lusitania leap out ofthe water by magic, and would fain not miss the first view of our lovedhome? Well! well! Such is youth, always eager and enthusiastic,fancying itself near its object, though as yet far distant, and, like ayoung puppy, or a baby, unable to measure distances, till, by constantpractice, and by many a fall, it has learned to discover the truesituations of objects."

  The speaker was a man who had somewhat passed the meridian of life, hishair already turning grey, and his good-natured, well-formed featuresconsiderably furrowed and bronzed by exposure to hot climes and stormyweather.

  "What, Senhor Pinto, shall we not see the land to-day?" inquired theyouth, in a tone of disappointment. "I thought we were close to it, andhave been looking out for it all the morning."

  "So I have observed," answered the Captain, "but was unwilling to breakdown unnecessarily all those castles in the air which I saw you sobusily occupied in building; however, I must now tell you that, from thethick weather and fogs which have for so many days attended us, we arerather out of our reckoning; and it was early this morning wediscovered, by an observation, that we are yet considerably to thenorthward of our latitude."

  "How tantalising!" returned the youth. "I had hoped that by this hourto-morrow we should have been safely moored in the Tagus."

  "Hope! Ah, 'tis a feeling in which youth may sometimes indulge withadvantage, as it oft carries him through difficulties anddisappointments, on his first setting out on the voyage of life, whichmight otherwise have made him turn back into harbour; but it often, too,proves a sad _ignis fatuus_, and, like a false light to the mariner,leads him on to quicksands and rocks, where it leaves him in the lurch.Now, an old sailor like myself is not to be deceived; and it is longsince I gave up hoping; consequently, I am never led astray by suchfalse lights. I find the surest way of being contented is, never toexpect anything, and I then can never be disappointed, but receive as aGodsend, and be thankful for, each piece of luck that falls in my way.That is what I call philosophy."

  "But, my dear sir!" returned the other, with animation, "you thus stifleone of the most noble, the most glorious principles of our nature, thevery mainspring of our actions, without which we should weakly yield tothe first blast of misfortune which assailed us; it supports the loverin his long absence from his mistress, the prisoner in his dungeon, themother watching o'er her child, the sick man on his bed of suffering:'twas hope which a kind Heaven bestowed on man when sin and death wereintroduced into the world, to prevent his sinking into abject dejection.Take all else from me, but teach me not to cease to hope."

  "Nay, nay, my dear Don Luis, you misunderstand me; I would not depriveyou of that which you so warmly cherish on any account," returnedCaptain Pinto; "I wish merely to warn you that the object of your hopesmay be like one of those beautiful islands we used to hear of, coveredwith glittering temples and palaces of crystal, but with which nocruiser ever came up, though some have sailed half round the globe,thinking each day they must drop an anchor in one of their temptingharbours. I've seen such sights in my time, but I never altered mycourse for them, and never intend to do so."

  "Ah, you can never, then, have experienced the glowing, eager sensationof hope almost accomplished," exclaimed Don Luis earnestly, "when a fewmore days or hours will place the longed-for object within your power."

  "Pardon me, but I have though," interrupted Captain Pinto; "but that wasyears ago, and I then found that the picture I had conjured up alwaysfar surpassed the reality. You forget that I too was once young, andexperienced all the sensations in which you now rejoice; but it is agewhich has taught me how fallacious they are, and I can no more bedeceived by them. Now, I dare say you, in your heart, think me a sullenold fellow, who delights in conjuring up in the horizon dark clouds, toovercast the bright blue sky under which you bask; but you must rememberI am an old seaman, who have spent the best half of a century on thetroubled ocean in all seas and climes, and that, like a good master, Iwould teach you to be prepared for the tempests and rough seas you mustencounter, and to avoid the hidden rocks and sandbanks which lie in yourcourse."

  "Thanks, thanks, my good sir; I understand your motives," answered DonLuis; "but I confess that I would rather you should not now darken myhorizon with either false or real clouds: it is too temptingly brightand beautiful not to wish it so to remain."

  "Well, I will give you no more lessons to-day," answered Captain Pinto;"you have had as much as you can bear at one time; for I fear that youare no very apt scholar. But to show you the advantage of not hopingand fretting yourself to death for what there is little chance ofobtaining, here am I, upwards of fifty, a hale hearty fellow, though Ihave only just now got the command of this little toy of a nutshell,with which I am as contented as if I was captain of a line-of-battleship, and think myself very fortunate to have her; for if that great manSebastiao Joze de Carvalho had not become one of the King's ministers, Ishould still have been an humble second lieutenant, and might havecontinued so to the end of my days. How, indeed, could I expect to risein times of peace, with no friends at Court, no money to bribe, andthough I am noble," the old man drew himself up proudly as hespoke,--"for otherwise I should not presume to be on such intimate termswith you, Senhor Don Luis,--yet, I am not, I confess, of the Puritanofamilies, who have hitherto monopolised everything, but Carvalho isbiassed by no such considerations; he is no friend to the Puritanos; heselects men for their merit alone, and some of that he may, I flattermyself, have discovered in me; at all events, I may boast he knew Iwould serve my country faithfully."

  "Of that I have no doubt, my friend," answered Don Luis, who had beenlistening to the old officer's long speech with some impatience, which,however, he endeavoured to conceal. "But can you tell me _how_ soon weshall reach the Tagus?"

  "Ah, there again, ever anxious for the morrow? Ha, ha! there is somegreater magnetic attraction drawing your soul towards Lisbon, beyond themere natural wish of embracing your parents, brothers, sisters, uncles,aunts, a whole host of cousins, and other relations and friends; forpeople don't mind deferring that pleasure for a few days. Come, come,there is some fair lady in the case. I know it. Confess, confess Ihave hit it. Donna Theresa d'Alorna, for instance; the beauty ofPortugal; the pride of the province; the toast of Lisbon; at whose feetkneel daily all the gay and gallant youths of the country to do homageto her charms? 'Tis said that even the king himself has become captiveto her beauty, though that is only whispered; but the lady is scornful,it seems, and treats all alike with cruelty and disdain. There is nocalculating the mischief she has committed: half-a-score of duels havebeen fought about her; one youth drowned himself in the Tagus, but wasfished up before he was quite dead, the water having cooled his love;another was going to hang himself, but prudently informed a venerableaunt of his intention, who prevented him; and a third put a pistol tohis head, but the weapon, like his skull, having no contents, he escapeddestruction. I do not know what you will do when you have gazed on hercharms; but I trust that if she treats you as she has other admirers,you will bring some of your hope into play, and seek a kinder mistress."

  While Captain Pinto was
speaking, the countenance of the youthalternately betrayed anxiety, fear, and anger; but as no expression hadbeen uttered at which he could possibly cavil, he was obliged to listenin silence to a discourse, every word of which was, to his sensitivefeelings, like vinegar poured on a wound. His torturer kept his eyefixed on him all the time, watching each movement of his features as askilful surgeon feels the pulse of his patient during a painfuloperation. "Yes, your unconquerable hope will stand you in good stead,"he proceeded to say. "And yet the love of Donna Theresa were, by allaccounts, a proud thing to boast of--more valued from the difficulty ofobtaining it."

  "How know you that I love her?" exclaimed Don Luis, suddenly: "I