n your own shoulders, and preferred death to
impeaching me."

"My dear Elrington," said Captain Levee, "I told our crew, and you
have proved me a true prophet, that you never would peach, but die
game. We were talking of you, supposing you dead, when you came in. I
must tell you, that more than once Mr. Trevannion had made up his mind
to deliver himself up, and acknowledge the truth, but I prevented him,
as it would have been a useless sacrifice."

"You did; but, nevertheless, it was so heavy on my conscience, that
had it not been for your perseverance, and the thoughts of leaving my
poor girl here an orphan in the world, I certainly should have so
done, for I felt life to be a burden."

"I am very glad that you did not, Sir," I replied; "my life is of
little value; I have no one to support, no one to love, and no one to
lament me if I fall. A shot from the enemy may soon send me out of the
world, and there will only be a man the less in it, as far as people
are interested about me."

"That is not the case now, at all events," replied Mr. Trevannion;
"but pray, tell us how it is that you have escaped."

"I have not escaped," I replied; "here is my pardon, with the
sign-manual."

"And how was it obtained?" exclaimed Captain Levee; "all intercession
made through some of the strongest friends of the government was in
vain, that I can assert; for you must not suppose that we have been
idle down here. We did not leave London till after you were condemned,
and every entreaty to see you, or to communicate by letter, was denied
to us."

"I had better, then, begin at the beginning, and state all that
occurred. I will first thank you, my dear Levee, for your kind
assistance, which I would not avail myself of, as I calculated
(wrongly I own) that it would be wiser to remain a prisoner; and I
considered that my very refusal to escape would be admitted by the
government as a proof of my innocence. I did not know that I had to
deal with such malignant people."

I then commenced my narrative, which occupied the remainder of the
evening, and, having received their congratulations, we had a pipe or
two, and, as I was fatigued, we retired to bed. I slept little on
this, I may say, first night of rest and quiet, after my liberation. I
was happy, and yet perplexed. During the time of my imprisonment, it
had occurred to me that the life of a privateer's-man was not one
which I could follow up with a good conscience; and I had, on