His pony, which was most appropriately called “Dumpling,” was so inseparable a companion of his that few remember one without the other. He was of Hanoverian breed, cream-coloured, with a black hogged mane and long tail, and a dark mark across his shoulders and down his back, like that of a donkey, of which animal’s nature he also strongly partook; his chief merit consisting in the fact that, if left to himself, he was warranted to stand still. He was a very cunning beast, and if mounted by any one he did not like (and his dislikes were general), would rub their legs up against a wall or post till he forced them to dismount again. His back was broad and long, and his legs were short and sturdy, yet he was a pony who objected to work of any shape or kind; but with his master he was well enough behaved, which may account for Captain Marryat being fond of what all the rest of the world disliked. And “Dumpling” was essentially a shooting pony, and would allow any number of shots to be fired between his ears, without having his serenity disturbed.

  Captain Marryat, on account of his shortsightedness, was not much of a sportsman. When he did carry a gun he wore an eyeglass, which he had mounted himself after a rather novel fashion. It was a plain piece of crystal surrounded by a strip of whalebone, the ends of which, bound together with twine, formed a long handle. This was stuck through a hole cut in the brim of his hat, and so arranged as to hang down in front of his right eye. (For reading at night, he wore strong double glasses). So, mounted on “Dumpling,” and attired in a velveteen shooting coat, mud-bespattered highlows, and a “shocking bad hat,” he used to ride about his farm in all weathers; for although he was most particular about his personal surroundings, he cared nothing at this period for his dress or personal appearance; and, with the exception of his linen, the garments which he usually wore were scarcely worth the consideration of the poorest in the village. To judge from his writings, in which his keen sense of humour too often borders on a want of refinement, the delicacy which he displayed in the details of every-day life would hardly have been expected of him. The bed and dressing rooms which he occupied, called the “Blue Rooms,” from the colour of their furniture, were about equal in size; and if a person’s character may be read (as is sometimes affirmed) upon his toilet table, a stranger introduced there would have pronounced Captain Marryat to be a dandy. He was a scrupulously clean man, and very neat in the arrangement of his drawers and wardrobe. Packing, or as he termed it, “stowing away,” was his forte; and he could manage to get a larger quantity into a smaller space than any one, except a sailor like himself. Whilst in the country, he always breakfasted at eight o’clock, and would have none but pure white china, such as is used on the Continent, upon the table — a fancy that involved the trouble of sending abroad to replace the missing articles, whenever breakages or other casualties bad thinned the ranks of the service. After his early breakfast, he never ate again until his dinner-time, twelve hours later. He was not a great smoker, only now and then indulging himself with a cigar; but he took an immense quantity of snuff, much to the dissatisfaction of the little greyhound, Juno, into whose eyes it was sure to fall whenever she tried to bury her nose in the folds of his waistcoat.

  Captain Marryat was a generous landlord and a kind friend to the labouring people round about his property; they all knew that they possessed his sympathy; and a poor fellow, whilst in the dreaded Union, has even gone without his scanty dinner in order that he might take it away with him to show the “Captain,” quite certain that at the next board the part of the working man would be taken against the guardians of the poor. He raised a great tumult by hie attempts to balk his brother magistrates in their vengeance against the poacher — a plant indigenous to the soil of Norfolk as it then was; and at one time, in utter disregard of the prognostications of evil with which he was favoured, on the principle that trust begets trust, he picked the most notorious offender in the neighbourhood out of the mire into which public opinion had cast him and raised him to the honourable post of his own gamekeeper. Captain Marryat’s confidence, in this instance, was not betrayed; for “William Barnes proved a faithful and attached servant, first to himself, and afterwards to his son Frank, whom he accompanied to California, where he still remains, leading a steady and respectable life.

  When Captain Marryat so abruptly disappeared from among the crowd of which he had been a prominent member, his friends made several attempts to win him from the seclusion upon which he had entered, by the most seductive offers of good dinners and good company, Mr, Forster, in a letter written during the summer of 1843, presses him to join in a dinner to a mutual friend, on “his starting for Yankee-doodle-dodom,” and at which many well known to him were to be present: —

  “Stanfield says you meditated a run to London at this very time, and I am fain to hope I shall have a welcome ‘YES’ from you by return of post, and that you will leave your farming and your crops, and come and shake all of us by the hand.”

  But this was his reply:

  “Langham,

  “August 24, 1843,

  “MY DEAR FORSTER,

  “I would go much further than Richmond, and undergo much greater privation, to show my respect and goodwill for Macready, who, in my opinion, is a trump; but I must put my case before you. It is three weeks back, nearly, that I received an invitation from one of the nobs of this county to dine with him — the first invitation I have ever received from him, although well acquainted; and I found, when I was at Lord Leicester’s the other day at a cricket match, that several of my friends were asked expressly to meet me. This dinner is on Friday, the 25th, and I cannot get off without being guilty of positive rudeness and incivility, as it has evidently been made up for me. I would start on Saturday morning, but if I do I cannot possibly arrive at Richmond before half-past ten or eleven o’clock at night, by which time the company, if not dispersed, will probably not recognise me. I am very sorry for it, as I should very much have wished to have been there; and the harvest, certainly, should have been no obstacle. Assure Macready of my best wishes, and regret that I am prevented by good manners from joining in such good fellowship. I wrote to Stanfield relative to the select parly down here in September. You can talk it over with them at Richmond, as I believe you will all be there. I shall be up for a few days some time next week, when I hope to see you.

  “Very truly yours,

  “F. MARRYAT.”

  Meanwhile, he was busy writing the ‘Travels of Monsieur Violet,’ supposed to be founded on those of Chateaubriand, in the wilds of the New World, but in reality the travels of a young Frenchman of the name of Lasalle, who stayed down at Langham for the express purpose of relating his adventures to his biographer, and who must be well remembered by the people of the place, whom he greatly astonished by performing war-dances and lassoing horses on the farm of the manor, for their edification and amusement. Mr. Forster, who was ill at the time he received this work, writes: “But then, you know, there are reliefs, and your Monsieur has been of service to me in fighting the enemy Pain. Thank you for him very much.”

  About the same time Captain Marryat wrote and received the following letters:

  “Langham, near Blakeney.

  “August, 1843.

  “MY DEAR STANFIELD,

  “Although I shall be in town at the latter end of this month, I write to you that we may not be disappointed in our intended party down here in September, and I think you had better at once make the arrangements as to the time of coming, so as to meet the wishes of all. I believe we have only mentioned Landseer, Maclise, Dickens, Forster, and yourself. Are there any more that you would wish to add to the list? as I can find room for one, if not two, as I only expect Blanche (his eldest daughter) and my boy Frank, who has just arrived from the Mediterranean in the Vanguard. The harvest is so late that we do not expect to begin this ten days, and therefore the corn will not be off the ground until about the 10th of September. I mention this, as those who are fond of shooting will not have any until the harvest is in. But I suspect that shooting is not the great desideratum with you and those that accompany you. You come for fresh air, amusement, fun, and a hearty welcome, all of which I will try hard to procure for you. However, settle that matter as you please; I leave it all to you; and when you have so done and let me know I will, if necessary, write the invitations and dispatch them. At all events, I shall see you in about a fortnight, if I live and do well.

  “My crops look well, and I shall begin harvest sooner than most others. I shall have them all in before I come to town.

  “Your picture is hung up, and is magnifique. It met with a small accident before it was hung up, and there is a hole in the canvas; but it is easily repaired — it is in the water.

  “My best compliments to Mrs. Stanfield and Mary.

  “Yours ever truly,

  “F. MARRYAT.”

  “Broadstairs, Kent,

  “Sept 6, 1843.

  “MY DEAR MARRYAT,

  “A hundred thanks for your kind note, and the renewal of your hospitable invitation, and for your truly friendly suggestion in the joint matter of Macready and Liverpool. The same thought had occurred to me, but I felt it would seem so ridiculous to people who didn’t ‘know our country,’ that I really lacked the courage to give it utterance. As soon as I heard what you had said, I resolved, of course, to keep away, and did so.

  “It gives me great pleasure to find that you like the tickling. I shall go in again before I have done, and give the eagle a final poke under his fifth rib.

  “I fear I cannot say, with any degree of certainty, sooner than the third week in October for the pleasures of Langham; but, please God, I shall be ready about the 19th or 20th. I will make this known to Maclise and Forster, and we will send you a threatening letter when the time approaches. Kate (that’s Mrs. Dickens) is very thankful for your kind recollection of her, and begs me to say that she hopes to have the pleasure of knowing your daughter well. I fear, however, that she will not be fit for travelling. A coming event casts its shadow before. Still, she can’t make up her mind to a capital No yet.

  “My dear Marryat,

  “Cordially yours,

  “CHARLES DICKENS.”

  “Langham, Sept. 11.

  “MY DEAR CAROLINE,

  “It is a very difficult affair to get a good donkey and a large one. I do not know of one anywhere about here, except one in my own possession, who is of a large size, and very virtuous for a donkey, going well in harness and saddle, and very fast when he thinks proper. He has always been much petted, and with kindness will, I have no doubt, do well, especially if to fair words you add a few oats. It will further suit Charles’s economy and my feelings if you will accept him from me; and of course you will call him Fred the Second. Am I to send him up by railway? If so, he must go to Norwich. What the expense will be I cannot tell, as I do not think that donkeys are enumerated among the passengers; but Charles can inquire in London, and when you write again let me know all about it. It will cost five shillings to get him to Norwich.

  “Love to gr. ma and others.

  “Ever yours,

  “F. MARRYAT.”

  After getting in the crops he pays a flying visit to London, as he mentions to Mr. Forster.

  “I was out of town two days after I went up. I was near you, at my lawyers, or I should not have had time to call. There was no need of sending me down your note to prove your kind feelings. I gave you credit for them, without receiving the invite.”

  Later in the autumn he again writes:

  “Langham, “October 9, 1843.

  “MY dear Forster,

  “As you appear to be the locomotive which can put this first-class train in motion, and as this is the second week in October, I write to you to ascertain whether the honourable parties are still of the same mind, and intend to honour me with a visit. I am sorry that by putting it off they have lost so much fine weather — but there is a little sunshine left.

  “Dickens said he would come in the third week in October, others the second — so how is it to be? I know not. All I can say is, that I shall be most happy to see them all; but at the same time, if it has become really inconvenient, from their engagements, I should be sorry that they should come down and consider it a bore. I do not consider that, although I asked them as a party, therefore a party it must remain. Let those come who like, and those who do not, put it off till another time. Those who can come will have a sincere welcome, those who cannot, sincere regret for their absence. But I know how difficult it is to make up a party, for ‘many men have many minds.’

  “I hope you received the second volume of ‘Violet’ — some queer stories!!!

  “Let me hear from you, and believe me,

  “Very truly yours,

  “F. MARRYAT.’

  CHAPTER VI.

  Correspondence — Anecdotes of Captain Marryat’s sons — He revisits London — Letters to his friends—’ The Settlers.’

  “Langham,

  “November 4, 1843.

  “MY DEAR CAROLINE,

  “I should have written to you before, but I have been very much occupied and bothered these last few weeks. Frank came down here with Augusta and Emily (his daughters) about four weeks back, and will remain, I presume, about the same time, when I hope he will be appointed to a ship. I have applied for a steamer on the home station, in which he may remain until we ascertain what may be the result of Belcher’s catastrophe. They seem inclined to think that even if he raises his vessel he must come home; but still the Admiralty know at present no more than the public. My opinion is that he must come home to refit, as I do not find that he has saved any of his surveying paraphernalia — however, a short time will decide. Frank is very like Frederick in his humour and mischief, but considerably steadier, still not over steady. Like all midshipmen, he turns the house upside down, and very much disturbs the economy and well regulating of a family. I shall not be able to do much with his sisters until he is gone, as anything serious is out of the question. However, midshipmen do not remain long on shore, so at present I submit to it, although he ought to be always followed by a housemaid with a broom to sweep after him, and a carpenter to repair damages. The girls are doing well.

  * * *

  I have begun Italian with them, and shall keep them well employed as soon as Master Frank is summoned to serve his Queen and country.

  * * *

  I do not intend to have a governess for them. I can teach them, and will teach them, better than any governess can; and as for music, I do not think that Augusta will suffer much, as she has already had offers of instruction, &c., from some of the ladies here, and, when she is better acquainted, will get on very well, as she practices every day. We have a very musical neighbourhood here, By-the-by my young ladies have already obtained a reputation since their arrival, not for female accomplishments or beauty, but for being true game as the people call it — Emily for mounting a pony never mounted before (she soon parted company with him), and Augusta for doing what I am certain no man in this county would venture upon, knowing the consequences — which she did not. We were rat-catching the other day; our rats are very large and very venomous in their bites. It being a lady’s amusement, I permitted the girls to be present, and Augusta actually seized with her hands, and held on for a minute until the dogs came, an enormous rat, whose bite would have crushed the bones of any finger she had. All the people present were astonished, not only at her boldness, but at her escape from being bitten, which was marvellous; and the ratcatcher himself said that he would not have done it for £5. In a county like this things get wind fast, and yesterday, when I was at the magistrates’ meeting, they asked me how the young lady was who seized rats. You must know that our Norfolk rats are quite as large as well-grown guinea pigs, and a rat bite is a two months’ affair at least, they are so venomous. Since I have been here they have killed two of my ferrets in single combat, so you may imagine the size of them. However, ‘All’s well that ends well,’ and I have made Gussy promise that she will leave rats in future for the dogs.

  * * * * *

  “I have got rid of my house in Spanish Place — not very well, but still it is off my hands, and no longer an expense. I have got a small premium, and £20 a year additional rent.

  * * * * *

  “This is a long letter for me to write. I hate the post, for every second letter is bad news, and I hate writing almost as much. If you let your house, come down, and economise; I can take you in with all your babies.

  “Yours truly,

  “F. MARRYAT.”

  Of Captain Marryat’s eldest son Frederick, mentioned in this letter (a fine, wild, generous fellow, who perished in his prime by the wreck of the Avenger), many stories might be told quite as amusing as those which signalised the early life of his father. He was a universal favourite, but the pranks he sometimes played in his profession alarmed even the least sober among his companions. Amongst his boyish escapades it is related how, when his ship once lay off Gib, he used to be selected to command the boat which took a certain blind admiral to and from the shore, and part of his duty consisted in telling the old gentleman whenever an officer saluted him in passing. The temptation to mischief was too strong for poor Fred; the warning, “Officer saluting you, sir,” was given upon all occasions, necessary or otherwise, and the old admiral was never allowed to rest quiet two minutes without raising his hand to his hat.