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Sir John Franklin, who has always taken great interest in the Beagle's voyage, testified every wish to afford me assistance: and in the most liberal manner placed at my disposal the colonial cutter, Vansittart, to assist in the survey of the Strait. Messrs. Forsyth and Pascoe were selected for the service, the former being in command.
Vansittart was too clever a woman to run such a risk in dealing with a man in whom she had detected a reserve of which the rest of the world had taken no account. It is unwise to enter into war or friendship without seeing to the reserves. "Do you remember," asked Mrs. Vansittart, suddenly, "how wise we were when we were young?
Six gun-boats were on shore, and it was feared that all would be lost; but the tide, rising higher than usual the next day, three were floated off, the others, however, remained immovable. Altogether we lost 80 men killed on the spot, and 350 wounded, many of whom died, among them being one of the most gallant officers in the service, Captain Vansittart.
Vansittart certain scraps of patronage and admiration, which she could pick up seriously and keep if she cared to. But he was not going to risk a wound to his vanity by taking the initiative too earnestly. Mrs. Vansittart, who was busy at the tea-table, set down a cup which she had in her hand and crossed the room towards him. "What do you mean, Mr. Roden?" she asked slowly.
Vansittart, examining the rings with which her fingers were laden. "I thought there would be developments." "There are developments. Hence my presence in The Hague. Lord Ferriby et famille arrive to-morrow. Also my friend Major White." "The fighting man?" inquired Mrs. Vansittart. "Yes, the fighting man. We are to have a solemn meeting. It has been found necessary to alter our financial basis "
If anything could arouse suspicion in the breasts of the servants who wait upon them, and the tradespeople who serve them it would be the extraordinary tenderness subsisting between them; the excessive courtesy and consideration of Mr. Vansittart for Mrs.
"Twenty minutes' time." "We have the information from one of the malgamiters themselves, who knows the time and the place, but he is tipsy. He is in a carriage outside the station." "How tipsy?" asked Major White; and both his hearers shrugged their shoulders. "How can we tell you that?" snapped Mrs. Vansittart; and Major White dropped his glass from his eye.
Like many another, she probably wanted something that money could not buy. Mrs. Vansittart, in fulfilment of her promise to Percy Roden, called on Dorothy at the Villa des Dunes, who in due course came to the house at the corner of Park Street and Orange Street to return the visit. Dorothy had been out when Mrs.
Roden gave his rather unpleasant laugh again. "It happens that I do," he replied. "And it happens that I know that Mrs. Vansittart never stays in The Hague in summer when all the houses are empty and everybody is away, and the place is given up to tourists, and becomes a mere annex to Scheveningen. This year she has stayed why, I should like to know."
Vansittart had been able to do nothing who in face of all opposition continued calmly to make malgamite, and sell it daily to the world at a preposterous profit, and at the cost only of men's lives. "And you, Fraeulein, are the daughter of Mr. Wade, the banker?" "Yes," she answered, feeling suddenly that she was a schoolgirl again, standing before her master. "And why are you in The Hague?"
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