The Two Supercargoes | Page 7

his well-made active figure. His aim was evidently to
play the agreeable, not only to the young lady of the house, but to all
the ladies present, and with some--especially with the dowagers--he
appeared to be as successful as he could desire. He cast an indifferent
glance now and then at me, as if he had never set eyes on me before,
and appeared perfectly unconscious of the accusation--for such I
considered it--brought against him by Mr Magor. When I observed his
apparent success with Lucy Crank, I felt a greater desire than ever to
tell Harry what I had heard, and to advise him to warn her and her
father of what I believed to be the real character of the man. His brother,
I supposed, from fraternal affection of family pride, had said nothing to
his senior partner to warn him, and, of course, even to Harry I could not
venture to say what I thought about Captain Trunnion. I could only
hope that Lucy would remain as indifferent to him as she had always
before appeared to be, and that he would quickly again return to the
"Vulture." I was surprised, indeed, that he had ventured to be so long
absent from his vessel, as his presence would be necessary while she
was refitting. Perhaps, after all, his statements about her might not be
true; she might not even be at Falmouth, although his mud-bespattered
appearance on his arrival showed that he had ridden a long distance.
CHAPTER TWO.
CAPTAIN TRUNNION APPEARS OPENLY AT LIVERPOOL--HIS
ATTENTIONS TO LUCY CRANK--HER AFFECTION FOR
HARRY BRACEWELL--CAPTAIN TRUNNION EXHIBITS HIS
JEALOUSY OF HARRY--SUSPECTING THE CAPTAIN'S EVIL
INTENTIONS, I WATCH OVER HARRY--GODFREY MAGOR
PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE "ARROW"--HARRY AND I
APPOINTED SUPERCARGOES--ATTEND TO THE STOWAGE OF
THE VESSEL--PREPARE FOR SAILING--FAREWELL TO LOVED
ONES--VOYAGE COMMENCED.

Notwithstanding the very grave suspicion cast on him by the mate of
the "Arrow," Captain Roderick Trunnion did not immediately quit
Liverpool, as I supposed he would have done. He was, as far as I could
judge, not on friendly terms with his brother, as he lived at an inn,
although there was ample room for him at Mr Trunnion's house, where
he seldom went, nor did he again appear at the office. I met him,
however, frequently walking about Liverpool, dressed in shoregoing
clothes, booted and spurred, and carrying a riding-whip in his hand.
Notwithstanding, I should have known him at a glance to be a seaman.
I found also that he very frequently called at Mr Crank's residence at
times when he well knew that the old gentleman would be at his
counting-house. I did not suppose, however, that he received any
encouragement from Miss Lucy, but he always had some excuse for
paying a visit, either to show some curiosity which he said he had
brought from abroad, or to leave a book or other articles which he had
obtained for her. The fact was, that he had got into the good graces of
Miss Deborah Crank, Mr Crank's maiden sister, who resided with him
to look after Miss Lucy and keep his house in order. I met the Captain
there at two or three evening parties to which the Bracewells and I were
invited, and on each occasion he was evidently paying court to the
young lady. When not with her, he was making himself agreeable to
Miss Deborah.
Harry appeared to be in no way jealous or unhappy, which he would
have been had he thought that Captain Roderick had the slightest
chance of success.
"We understand each other," he said, "and she has assured me that she
does not like him, though she cannot be rude to him while her father
and aunt invite him to the house."
I did not like to make Harry unhappy by saying that I was not quite so
certain about the matter as he was; at the same time I longed to be able
to warn Miss Lucy of the character of the roan. What surprised me was
that Mr Trunnion should not have spoken to Mr Crank, or that the latter
should not have thought it strange that Captain Roderick never came to
the counting-house.

Probably Mr Trunnion was influenced by fraternal feelings in not
warning his partner of his suspicions regarding his brother's character. I
did not, however, long entertain fears of Miss Lucy's affection for
Harry, from a circumstance which he told me. It was a holiday, and he
had arranged to accompany her and her aunt on a visit to some friends
in the country. The coach was at the door waiting for Miss Deborah,
who was upstairs, not yet having finished her toilet, while Lucy, who
had finished dressing, was seated in the drawing-room with Harry by
her side. Suddenly the door