e
name and rate of every craft I fell in with," returned the other, with
infinite composure; "and yet, now you speak of such a thing, I do remember
to have come within hail of a poor fellow, just about the beginning of the
morning-watch somewhere hereaway, up in the bushes between this town and
the bit of a ferry that carries one on to the main."

"What sort of a man was he?" demanded five or six anxious voices, in a
breath; among which the tones of Desire, however, maintained their
supremacy rising above those of all the others, like the strains of a
first-rate artist flourishing a quaver above the more modest thrills of
the rest of the troupe.

"What sort of a man! Why a fellow with his arms rigged athwart ship, and
his legs stepped like those of all other Christians, to be sure: but, now
you speak of it, I remember that he had a bit of a sheep-shank in one of
his legs, and rolled a good deal as he went ahead."

"It was he!" added the same chorus of voices. Five or six of the speakers
instantly stole slyly out of the throng, with the commendable intention of
hurrying after the delinquent, in order to secure the payment of certain
small balances of account, in which the unhappy and much traduced good-man
stood indebted to the several parties. Had we leisure to record the manner
in which these praiseworthy efforts, to save an honest penny, were
conducted the reader might find much subject of amusement in the secret
diligence with which each worthy tradesman endeavoured to outwit his
neighbour, on the occasion, as well as in the cunning subterfuges which
were adopted to veil their real designs, when all met at the ferry,
deceived and disappointed in their object As Desire, however, had neither
legal demand on, nor hope of favour from, her truant husband, she was
content to pursue, on the spot, such further inquiries in behalf of the
fugitive as she saw fit to make. It is possible the pleasures of freedom,
in the shape of the contemplated divorce, were already floating before her
active mind, with the soothing perspective of second nuptials, backed by
the influence of such another picture as might be drawn from the
recollections of her first love; the whole having a manifest tendency to
pacify her awakened spirit, and to give a certain portion of directness
and energy to her subsequent interrogatories.

"Had he a thieving look?" she demanded, without attending to the manner in
which she was so suddenly deserted by all