the honest fellow heartily by the hand.

He saluted Grace, and went over the side, followed by Bobby Allett, and
both of them were presently aboard the little _Spitfire_.

"There are boats coming," exclaimed Captain Verrion, "which will tow
your dandy into Penzance harbour, sir. Will you go ashore in one of
them, or shall I have one of the yacht's boats lowered for you?"

Thanking him heartily, I replied that one of the Penzance boats would
do very well, and then looking into my pocket-book and finding that I
had no more gold about me than I should need, I entered the cabin, sent
the sailor attendant for some ink, and wrote a couple of cheques, one
of which I asked Captain Verrion to accept for himself, and to
distribute the proceeds of the other amongst his crew. He was
reluctant to take the money, said that the earl was a born gentleman
who would wish him to do everything that had been done, that no sailor
ought to receive money for serving people fallen in with in a condition
of distress at sea; but I got him to put the cheques into his pocket at
last, and several boats having by this time come alongside, I shook the
worthy man by the hand, thanked him again and again for his treatment
of us, and went with Grace down the little gangway ladder into the boat.

We had no sooner quitted the yacht than the engine-room bell rang, and
the beautiful fabric was in motion, and before our boatmen had measured
a dozen strokes, the steamer's stern was at us, with Captain Verrion
flourishing his brass-bound cap to us from the bridge. There were two
boats alongside my wretched little dandy, and so quiet was the day that
I could hear Caudel talking to their occupants. But I was now wholly
done with her; honest Caudel and Bobby Allett were safe, and I could
think of little more than of the string of adventures I should have to
relate to my cousin, and of what was beyond, what Lady Amelia was going
to do, whether it might come to my cousin being unable to publish the
banns for us, and whether the darling at my side had been made my true
and lawful wife by Captain Parsons' recital of the marriage service.

On landing we proceeded to the Queen's Hotel where I ordered dinner,
and then wrote a letter to my cousin asking him and his wife to come to
us as speedily as possible, adding that we had been very nearly
shipwrecked and had met with some strange adventures, the narrative of
which, if attempted, must fill a very considerable