Even Robin's weaknesses were hallowed, if not cherished things--she
innocently catered to his personal vanity, for she really loved to see
him well appointed; and she avoided every thing bordering on gaiety of
dress, manner, or society, because she felt that jealousy was one of his
infirmities; thus by never arousing his evil passions, their very
existence was forgotten, and the violent, capricious Ranger would have
been hardly recognized (except by his very intimates), as the
self-satisfied, and somewhat important manager of Sir Walter Cecil's
estates.
As Robin and Barbara drew near their father and the children, they
perceived a Cavalier well mounted, and attended by two serving men, also
on horseback, winding along the hill path, or road, as it was called;
and the younger dog--by the way a daughter of our old acquaintance
Blanche--gave notice to the little mariners of the approach, by
bristling her silken hair and rounding her flapping ears, while she
barked long and loudly at the unusual arrival.
The Buccaneer shaded his eyes with his hand and looked out. Robin jerked
his hat a little more on one side, while Barbara drew the Flanders lace
of her silken hood more closely round her face.
"It is a Court Cavalier," exclaimed Master Hays, as he was
respectfully termed by his associates, "with two attendants and a dog;
beshrew me! but a noble dog from foreign parts; some friend of our kind
master is that gentleman. One would think he was reconnoitring, so
earnestly does he look out from place to place. Father," he continued,
drawing towards Dalton, "do you note how he peers out yonder, towards
where once--you understand me----"
"I do," replied the old man, "I do note it; and I note also that yon
same Cavalier is no other than one we both knew well. There! he sees
us--his hat is off--he hails us right joyfully. Know you not the bold
brow, and the bright eye--blue, blue as the waters and the heavens he
has so long looked upon? Off with ye'r hats, my boys," he added to the
children; "and, Robin, is yours nailed to your head, that it answers not
his signal?--it is the young sea captain of whom, even here, we have
heard and read so much. It is Springall!"
And so it was; distinguished by the Protector at the very moment when to
be so distinguished makes a man's fortune, the bold intrepid boy quickly
ripened into the able and experienced seaman. His promotion was rapid,
because his talents were appreciated--and, after the death of Cromwell,
he had been too much occupied with England's enemies at sea, to suffer
from the moral blight of Charles's court on shore.