The party then broke up to go to the theatre, and afterwards we repaired
to the hotel. I remained there two days more, and on the last of these
two days I had promised to sup with the French captain of the privateer,
who had called upon me, and behaved very politely. The following day,
after noon, when the tide served, I was to sail. Accordingly, after the
theatre was over, I went with the French captain to his house, in
company with two or three more. Supper was on the table when we arrived
there, and we went into the room, waiting for the presence of the
captain's lady, who had not gone to the theatre, and to whom I had not
been introduced. After a few minutes she made her appearance, and as
she entered the room, I was struck with her extreme beauty, although she
was past the meridian of life. I thought I had seen her face before,
and as she came forward with her husband, it at once rushed into my mind
that she was the widow of the French gentleman who had so gallantly
fought his vessel, and who fell by my hand--the lady who was nursing her
son at the King's Hospital at Jamaica, and who had been so inveterate
against me. Our eyes met, and her cheeks flushed; she recognised me,
and I coloured deeply as I bowed to her. She was taken with a
faintness, and fell back. Fortunately her husband received her in his
arms.
"What is the matter, my love?" he said.
"Nothing; but I am taken with a vertigo," replied she; "it will go off
directly. Make my excuses to the company, while I retire for a few
minutes."
Her husband went out of the room, and after a minute or two came back,
saying that Madam was not well enough to return to the room, and begged
that they would admit her excuse, and sit down to supper without her.
Whether his wife had informed him of who I was, I know not; but nothing
could exceed the civility of the French captain towards me during the
supper. We did not, however, remain very late, as the lady of the house
was indisposed.
I found out, as I walked home with another French officer, that the
captain of the privateer had fallen in with the French lady on her
return from Jamaica, where her son died in the hospital, and had married
her; and that, moreover, unlike most French husbands, he was most
ardently attached to her.
I had breakfasted the next morning, and packed up my clothes preparatory
to going on board, and had just returned from a visit of leave-taking
with the governor, when who should walk up into my apartment but the
French captain of the privateer, accompanied by three or four French
officers of the army. I perceived by his looks when he entered that he
was a little excited, but I met him cordially. He began a conversation
about his action with Captain Weatherall, and instead of speaking
handsomely as he had done before, he used expressions which I considered
offensive, and I at once took him up by observing that, being under a
flag of truce, it was impossible for me to notice what he said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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