The Tiger of Mysore | Page 7

Of course, I told him that I did not regard myself as
Captain Holland's widow--that all we knew was that he had got safely
ashore, and had been taken up to Mysore; and, as I had a strong
conviction he was still alive, I was going out to endeavour to ascertain,
from native sources, whether he was still living.
"'Well, ma'am, I hope that you will succeed,' he said. 'All this is new to
me. I thought he was drowned, when the Hooghley went ashore.
Anyhow, Mrs. Holland, I honour you for making this journey, just on
the off chance of hearing something of your husband, and you may be
sure I will do all I can to make the voyage a pleasant one for you.'
"So you see, we shall start favourably, Dick; for the captain can do a
great deal towards adding to the comfort of a passenger. When it is
known, by the purser and steward, that a lady is under the special care
of the captain, it ensures her a larger share of civility, and special
attentions, than she might otherwise obtain."
As soon as they went on board, indeed, the captain came up to them.
"Good morning, Mrs. Holland," he said. "You have done quite right to
come on board early. It gives you a chance of being attended to, before
the stewards are being called for by twenty people at once."
He beckoned to a midshipman.
"Mr. Hart, please tell the purser I wish to speak to him.
"So this is your son, Mrs. Holland? A fine, straight-looking young
fellow. Are you going to put him in the Service? You have a strong
claim, you know, which I am sure the Board would acknowledge."
"Do you know, Captain, it is a matter that I have hardly thought of--in
fact, I have, for years, been so determined to go out and try and obtain
some news of my husband, as soon as Dick was old enough to journey
about as my protector, that I have not thought, as I ought to have done,
what profession he should follow. However, he is only fifteen yet, and
there will be time enough when he gets back."

"If he is to go into the service, the sooner the better, ma'am--one can
hardly begin too young. However, I don't say there are not plenty of
good sailors, afloat, who did not enter until a couple of years older than
he is--there is no strict rule as to age.
"Only fifteen, is he? I should have taken him for at least a year older.
However, if you like, Mrs. Holland, I will put him in the way of
learning a good deal, during the voyage. He might as well be doing that
as loafing about the deck all day."
"Much better, Captain. I am very much obliged to you, and I am sure
that he will be, too."
"I should like it immensely, Captain," Dick exclaimed.
At this moment, the purser came up.
"Mr. Stevenson," the captain said, "this is Mrs. Holland. She is the wife
of my old friend, John Holland--we were midshipmen together on
board the Ganges. He commanded the Hooghley, which was lost, you
know, five or six years ago, somewhere near Calicut. There were two
or three survivors, and he was one of them, and it seems that he was
taken up the country; so Mrs. Holland is going out to endeavour to
ascertain whether he may not be still alive, though perhaps detained by
one of those native princes.
"Please do everything you can to make her comfortable, and tell the
head steward that it is my particular wish she shall be well attended to.
Who is she berthed with?"
The purser took the passenger list from his pocket.
"She is with Mrs. Colonel Williamson, and the wife of Commissioner
Larkins."
The captain gave a grunt of dissatisfaction. The purser went on.
"There is a small cabin vacant, Captain. Two ladies who were to have

it--a mother and daughter--have, I hear this morning, been
unexpectedly detained, owing to the sudden illness of one of them.
Their heavy baggage is all in the hold, and must go on, and they will
follow in the next ship. Shall I put Mrs. Holland in there?"
"Certainly. This is most fortunate.
"I don't think that you would have been comfortable, with the other two,
Mrs. Holland. I don't know the colonel's wife, but Mrs. Larkins has
travelled with us before, and I had quite enough of her on that voyage."
"Thank you very much, Captain. It will indeed be a comfort to have a
cabin to myself."
Dick found that he was berthed with two young cadets, whose names,
he learned from the cards fastened over the bunks, were Latham and