fe, with me, as
long as I live. I shall not die yet--no, no."
Vanslyperken rose to depart; he was anxious to be aboard.
"Go, child, go. I have hopes of you--you have murdered, have you not?"
"No, no," replied Vanslyperken, "he lives yet."
"Then try again. At all events, you have wished to murder, and you have
sold your country for gold. Cornelius Vanslyperken, by the hatred I bear
the whole world, I feel that I almost love you now;--I see you are my
own child. Now go, and mind to-morrow you bring the gold."
Vanslyperken quitted the house, and walked down to go on board again;
the loss of the fair widow, all his hopes dashed at once to the ground,
his having neglected the widow Vandersloosh and sent her an insulting
message, had only the effect of raising his bile. He vowed vengeance
against everybody and everything, especially against Smallbones, whom he
was determined he would sacrifice: murder now was no longer horrible to
his ideas; on the contrary, there was a pleasure in meditating upon it,
and the loss of the expected fortune of the fair Mrs Malcolm only made
him more eager to obtain gold, and he contemplated treason as the means
of so doing without any feelings of compunction.
On his arrival on board, he found an order from the Admiralty to
discharge James Salisbury. This added to his choler and his meditations
of revenge. Jemmy Ducks had not been forgotten; and he determined not to
make known the order until he had punished him for his mutinous
expressions; but Moggy had come on board during his absence, and
delivered to her husband the letter from the Admiralty notifying his
discharge. Vanslyperken sent for Corporal Van Spitter to consult, but
the corporal informed him that Jemmy Ducks knew of his discharge.
Vanslyperken's anger was now without bounds. He hastened on deck, and
ordered the hands to be turned up for punishment, but Corporal Van
Spitter hastened to give warning to Jemmy, who did not pipe the hands
when ordered.
"Where is that scoundrel, James Salisbury?" cried Vanslyperken.
"Here is James Salisbury," replied Jemmy, coming aft.
"Turn the hands up for punishment, sir."
"I don't belong to the vessel," replied Jemmy, going forward.
"Corporal Van Spitter--where is Corporal Van Spitter?"
"Here, sir," said the corporal, coming up the hatchway in a pretended
bustle.
"Bring that man, Salisbury, aft."
"Yes, sir," replied the corporal, going forward with assumed eagerness.
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