aking a part in the conversation.

The trio started to their feet at this unexpected display of my
colloquial powers; down went backgammon-board, men, dice, prayer-book,
and all upon the floor.

"Hillo! Frank!" cried Langley, ranging alongside the bed, "how do you
find yourself by this time, my little dear?"

"Perfectly well, only very weak."

"Does your head ache now, Frank?" asked Mary, laying her soft hand
upon my forehead.

"Not a bit, only I've got most confounded sore hair."

"Eh! my lad, they talked of leaving you no hair at all," cried Bill,
"they thought one spell of shaving your head. Egad! you'd have looked
like a bald eagle!"

"Why, what has been the matter with me?" I asked.

"Matter with you! why, man, you have had the yellowest kind of a
fever. Touch and go, it was; but you're worth ten dead men this
morning."

Ellen during this conversation had left the room, and now returned
with her father and the physician, who had called with Captain Smith.
I was pronounced in a fair way of speedy recovery. Everybody was very
glad, but I noticed that Ellen said nothing; indeed, instead of being
overjoyed like my good skipper or Langley, she had to wipe the tears
from her eyes.

"Frank," said Langley, when I was finally left alone with that worthy
gentleman, "how little Nell did pipe her eye the other night, when we
were all so fearful you were going to slip your wind; and just between
you and I and the main-mast, I'm walking into her sister's young
affections just as the monkey went up the back-stay, hand over hand.
_Pre_haps she aint a darling. I've been writing a piece of poetry
about her, don't you want to hear it?"

"Oh! be off with your nonsense--I wish to go to sleep."

"Well, go to sleep, and be--cured, you unfeeling wretch;" and Mr.
Langley, in a huff, walked out on the verandah, and began to smoke.

Under the kind care of my good friends I grew rapidly better, and at
the end of a week was entirely well; but still I enjoyed the society
of Ellen so much, that whenever the skipper called upon me, I feigned
myself too weak to go to my duty, and pleaded that Langley might stay
ashore to take care of me. Captain Smith, though not deceived by this
artifice, granted us liberty from day to day; and Bill and I were the
two happiest fellows in the world. But there is an end to every thing.
One day while sitting in the back verandah with Ellen, her father and
mother, in rushed the skipper, in great glee