yers, instead
of writing them out, and getting them by heart?"

There was a little malice in the governor's question, for he was too
much behind the curtain to be the dupe of any pretending claims to
sudden inspirations, and well knew that every sect had its liturgy,
though only half-a-dozen have the honesty to print them. The answer of
his friend was, as usual, frank, and to the point.

"I cannot say but there is, Mr. Mark. As for the clothes, women will
talk about _them_, as you well know, sir; it being their natur' to be
dressing themselves out, so much. Then as to praying from the book,
quite half of our people think it is not any better than no praying at
all. A little worse, perhaps, if truth was spoken."

"I am sorry to hear this, Betts. From the manner in which they attend
the services, I was in hopes that prejudices were abating, and that
everybody was satisfied."

"I don't think, governor, that there is any great danger of a mutiny;
though, many men, many minds, as I said before. But, my business here is
forgotten all this time; and I know it isn't with your honour now as it
used to be with us both, when we had nothing to think of but the means
of getting away from this place, into some other that we fancied might
be better. I wish you joy, sir, in having got the two new brigs into the
water."

"Thank you, Captain Betts. Does your present visit relate to either of
those brigs?"

"Why, to come to the p'int, it does, sir. I've taken a fancy to the
Dragon, and should like to buy her."

"Buy her! Have you any notion what such a vessel will cost, Betts?"

"Not a great way from eight thousand dollars, I should think, governor,
now that the copper is on. Some things is charged high, in this part of
the world, about a wessel, and other some isn't. Take away the copper,
and I should think a good deal less would buy either."

"And have you eight thousand dollars at command, my friend, with which
to purchase the brig?"

"If ile is money, yes; if ile isn't money, no. I've got three hundred
barrels on hand, one hundred of which is head-matter."

"I rejoice to hear this, Captain Betts, and the brig you shall have. I
thought to have sold both to the merchants, for I did not suppose any
one else, here, could purchase them; but I would greatly prefer to see
one of them in the hands of an old friend. You shall have the Dragon,
Betts, since you like her."

"Done and done between gentlemen, is enough, sir; not that