ibe.

"All this may be just as your Ladyship says," he rejoined; "but the
interest of my kingdom, and a large family at home, make it necessary that
I should look sharp to my rights. Was there a flag in the vessel?"

"There was."

"Then, it is likely they hoisted it, as usual, at the end of the
jib-boom?"

"It was hoisted, as is usual with a Vice-Admiral, at the fore."

"Well answered, for petticoats!" muttered the Deity, a little baffled in
his artifice. "It is d----d queer, saving your Ladyship's presence, that I
should have forgotten such a ship: Was there any thing of the
extraordinary sort, that one would be likely to remember?"

The features of the governess had already lost their forced pleasantry, in
a shade of grave reflection and her eye was evidently fastened on vacancy
us she answered, to all appearance like one who thought aloud.--

"I can, at this moment, see the arch and roguish manner with which that
wayward boy, who then had but eight years, over-reached the cunning of the
mimic Neptune, and retaliated for his devices, by turning the laugh of all
on board on his own head!"

"Was he but eight?" demanded a deep voice at her elbow.

"Eight in years, but maturer in artifice," returned Mrs Wyllys, seeming to
awake from a trance, as she turned her eyes full upon the face of the
Rover.

"Well, well," interrupted the captain of the forecastle who cared not to
continue 'an inquiry in which his dreaded Commander saw fit to take a
part, "I dare say it is all right. I will look into my journal if I find
it so, well--if not, why, it's only giving the ship a head-wind, until
I've overhauled the Dane, and then it will be all in good time to receive
the balance of the fee."

So saying, the God hurried past the officers, and turned his attention to
the marine guard, who had grouped themselves in a body, secretly aware of
the necessity each man might be under of receiving support from his
fellows, in so searching a scrutiny Perfectly familiar with the career
each individual among them had run, in his present lawless profession and
secretly apprehensive that his authority might be forced suddenly from
him, the chief of the forecastle selected a raw landsman from among them,
bidding his attendants to drag the victim forward, where he believed they
might act the cruel revels he contemplated with less danger of
interruption. Already irritated by the laughs which had been created at
their expense, and resolute to