introduced
to them first."

"Nor will I go," replied Cecilia, "but I will write a note, and we will
have our breakfast here." Cecilia wrote a note in pencil as follows:

"Miss Ossulton's compliments to Lord B---, and, as the ladies feel
rather indisposed after the alarm of this morning, they trust that his
lordship will excuse their coming to breakfast; but hope to meet his
lordship at dinner, if not before that time on deck."

The answer was propitious, and the steward soon appeared with the
breakfast in the ladies' cabin.

"Well, Maddox," said Cecilia, "how do you get on with your new master?"

The steward looked at the door, to see if it was closed, shook his head,
and then said, with a look of despair, "He has ordered a haunch of
venison for dinner, miss, and he has twice threatened to toss me
overboard."

"You must obey him, Maddox, or he certainly will. These pirates are
dreadful fellows. Be attentive, and serve him just as if he was my
father."

"Yes, yes, ma'am, I will; but our time may come. It's _burglary_ on the
high seas, and I'll go fifty miles to see him hanged."

"Steward!" cried Pickersgill, from the cabin.

"O Lord! He can't have heard me--d'ye think he did, miss?"

"The partitions are very thin, and you spoke very loud," said Mrs
Lascelles: "at all events, go to him quickly."

"Good bye, miss; good bye, ma'am; if I shouldn't see you any more," said
Maddox, trembling with fear, as he obeyed the awful summons--which was
to demand a tooth-pick.

Miss Ossulton would not touch the breakfast; not so Mrs Lascelles and
Cecilia, who ate very heartily.

"It's very dull to be shut up in this cabin," said Mrs Lascelles;
"come, Cecilia, let's go on deck."

"And leave me!" cried Miss Ossulton.

"There is Phoebe here, aunt; we are going up to persuade the pirates to
put us all on shore."

Mrs Lascelles and Cecilia put on their bonnets and went up. Lord
B--- took off his hat, and begged the honour of being introduced to the
pretty widow. He handed the ladies to a seat, and then commenced
conversing upon various subjects, which at the same time possessed great
novelty. His lordship talked about France, and described its ports;
told now and then a good anecdote; pointed out the different headlands,
bays, towns, and villages, which they were passing rapidly, and always
had some little story connected with each. Before the ladies had been
two hours on deck they found themselves, to th