e of Mr Trevannion, my owner. I took my valise off
the boy's horse, and having paid him for his attendance I knocked at the
door, for it was late in the evening, and dark, when I arrived. The
door (for it was at his private house door, which was next to the
counting-house door, that I knocked) was opened; and the woman who
opened it shrieked, and let drop the candle, exclaiming, "Help, O God--a
ghost, a ghost!" for it appeared that the news had arrived at Liverpool
from a messenger who had been sent express after I had been condemned,
stating that there was no hope, and that I was to suffer on the Monday
previous; and this was the Saturday evening on which I had arrived. Mr
Trevannion's clerk, hearing a noise in the passage, came out with
another candle, and, seeing me, and the woman lying on the floor in a
swoon, stared, staggered to the door of the room where his master was
sitting, and the door being ajar he fell back with great force into the
room, dropping under the table between Mr Trevannion and Captain Levee,
who was sitting with him, smoking, as was very often their wont. This
brought out Captain Levee with one of the table-candlesticks, who, upon
seeing me, ran to me, and embracing me warmly, cried out, as the clerk
made his escape--

"Here is Elrington alive and well, Sir!"

At this announcement Mr Trevannion came out, and threw himself into my
arms, saying--

"I thank God for all his mercies, but, above all, that I have not been
the cause of your death, my dear Elrington. Come in," he exclaimed, in
a faltering voice; and as soon as he gained his seat he laid his head
down and sobbed with excitement and joy.

I followed Captain Levee into the room, and was taking a chair, when I
perceived there was another person present besides Captain Levee and Mr
Trevannion, which was the daughter of the latter; that is, I presumed as
much, for I knew that he was a widower, and had one daughter living, out
of a family of three children. She appeared to be about seventeen years
of age, and had just come from a Protestant convent, as they called
establishments where young women were educated at Chester. Mr
Trevannion was still with his face covered, and not yet recovered from
his burst of feeling, when this young gentlewoman came up to me, and
said--

"Captain Elrington, you have behaved nobly to my father; accept my hand
and my friendship."

I was so dazzled from coming out of the dark, and so excited from wha