"Man--the gallows, and death. I fear the last, but I shall not die yet:--no, no, I _will_ live--I will _not_ die. Ay, the corporal--lost in Zuyder Zee--dead men tell no tales; and he could tell many of you, my child. Let the fish fatten on him."
"A hundred thousand devils!" exclaimed the old mother, "that I should have suffered such throes for a craven. Cornelius Vanslyperken, you are not like your mother:--your father, indeed"
"Silence, child,--there, go away--I wish to be alone with memory."
Vanslyperken, who knew that resistance or remonstrance would be useless, and only lead to bitter cursing and imprecation on the part of the old woman, rose and walked back to the sallyport, where he slipped into his boat and pulled on board of the _Yungfrau_, which lay at anchor in the harbour, about a cable's length from the shore.
"Here he comes," cried a tall bony woman, with nothing on her head but a cap with green faded ribbons, who was standing on the forecastle of the cutter. "Here he comes;--he, the willain, as would have flogged my Jemmy." This was the wife of Jemmy Ducks, who lived at Portsmouth, and who, having heard what had taken place, vowed revenge.
"Silence, Moggy," said Jemmy, who was standing by her.
"Yes, I'll hold my tongue till the time comes, and then I'll sarve him out, the cheating wagabond."
"And as for that 'peaching old Corporal Blubber, I'll _Wan Spitter_ him if ever he turns up again to blow the gaff against my own dear Jemmy."
"Silence, Moggy--there's rowed of all, and a marine at your elbow."
"Let him take that for his trouble," cried Moggy, turning round, and delivering a swinging box of the ear upon the astonished marine, who not liking to encounter such an Amazon, made a hasty retreat down the fore-hatchway.
"So there you are, are you?" continued Moggy, as Vanslyperken stepped on the deck.
"You, that would flog my own dear darling duck--my own Jemmy."
"Silence! Moggy, will you?" said Jemmy Ducks, in an angry tone, "or I'll smash your peepers."
"You must climb on the gun to reach them, my little man," replied his wife. "Well, the more I holds my tongue now, the more for him when I gets hold on him. Oh! he's gone to his cabin, has he, to kiss his Snarleyyow:--I'll make _smallbones_ of that beast afore I'm done with him. Flog my Jemmy--my own, dear, darling Jemmy--a nasty lean--"
