ails. He was only to fight for the purpose of escaping
capture. Halifax was reached, and Pearce having delivered his
dispatches, hurried up to Colonel Verner's house.

Miss Verner was at home. She started, and the colour rose to her cheeks
when Captain Ripley was announced. She put out her hand, and did not
withdraw it, for Pearce forgot to let it go.

"Are you really a captain already?" she asked.

"Yes; that is, a commander. I am captain of the `Vestal,'" he answered,
and he told her how Captain Gale had been compelled to go home, and that
he had been appointed in his stead. He mentioned also the number of
prizes he had taken--a matter which interested Colonel Verner more than
it did her.

"That young Ripley is a very fine fellow," observed the colonel to a
brother officer. "Why, in one cruise he must have made not far short of
ten thousand pounds as his own share of prize-money. A capital haul for
the admiral. Those naval men have better chances than we have of
filling their purses."

If Pearce had received attentions when only a young lieutenant, he was
doubly courted now that he was a commander, with an established name for
gallantry and energy. Alice Verner no longer hesitated acknowledging to
herself that she had given him her entire heart. She felt honoured by
his preference, and proud of it among so many others who seemed anxious
to obtain it. Halifax was always a lively place. There were a great
number of resident families with young people, and dances were therefore
much in vogue. Consequently naval officers were always welcome,
lieutenants and passed midshipmen were acceptable, but young commanders
were treated with especial favour. A more experienced man than Pearce
might have had his head turned with the attentions he received. While,
however, he was grateful for them, he enjoyed to the full the society in
which he found himself, and became neither conceited nor vain. He had
also the opportunity of comparing Alice Verner with other girls, and he
became more than ever convinced of her superiority to them all. His
stay at Halifax was likely to be short. He naturally wished to spend as
much of his time as possible in her society. She invariably received
him so frankly and cordially that all restraint was thrown aside. He
felt almost sure that she loved him; so he took her hand and told her
how much he loved her, and that he believed he had made enough
prize-money already to enable he