he suspected some love-larking in my sly attempts to get him
to praise the absent fair one.

"Come, come," he said, "mind your grog; although _I_ say it, who
shouldn't say it, she's as pretty a little craft as ever sailed the
ocean of life; but we're not to take her in tow throughout all our
voyages--so we'll drop her."

"Not till I drink to her, with your leave, sir," said I.

"Oh, as to that, there's no harm," said he. "All I say is, it's a
pity you belong to the land sharks. If you'd been a seaman, I might
have fancied you for a son-in-law."

The words startled me; and, if he had had the keen perception of a
refined man of the world, he might have augured something from the
sound of my voice, though my words belied my thoughts.

"Well, here's to her!" said I; "and may her fortune yield her a better
cast up than a limb of the----" Law I would have said, but he roared
out devil, with a laugh, and I joined him.

But, as I had a long walk before me, I was obliged to take my leave of
the old gentleman rather early in the night. His daughter had not yet
returned; but he was not uneasy on her account, as it was a fine
moonlight night, and she was well acquainted with the road.

"Let me see you often, my young friend," said the captain; "I should
like to become better acquainted with you. We always pipe to breakfast
at nine o'clock, and to dinner at three. I hate your late shore hours.
Come whenever you are inclined to do so. I shall be happy to see you."

We shook hands, and parted; and I was really quite sorry to leave my
new and agreeable friend.

I was walking quietly along the road homewards; the moon was shining
brightly, and the shadow of the high hedge darkened half the road,
when I thought I heard the sound of suppressed voices some short
distance ahead of me. I stopped and listened, and, almost immediately
afterwards, I saw two men creep out from the light side of the road,
and, looking cautiously around, dart over into the shade. The stealthy
motions of the men, and their evident wish for concealment, impressed
me with a conviction that mischief of some kind was intended, and I
was determined to watch their movements. I got through the hedge, and
crept silently along the back of it, till I came to a kind of recess
for holding stones, where I paused and listened. I again heard the
murmur of voices near me, and, crawling quietly on, I came close
behind the speakers, so near to them that I could distinctly